Star Fox: Endgame
by FoxRocks
Summary: Two and a half years have passed since the Anglar War, and Fox McCloud is stuck in a depression. As his past haunts him, Lylat is thrust into a new war, and Fox knows he must lead the Star Fox squadron to end the threat. All the while, Fox realizes he is coming to a point where his time as a warrior is ending. Inspired by Ending 1 of Star Fox Command. My final FanFic; please enjoy.
1. Author's Introduction (PLEASE READ)

**Author's Introduction**

Hello everyone! First of all, for those who know me, I apologize if you have been frustrated by a lack of content from me. I also apologize for not keeping up with reading stories as well as I used to. I've just been preoccupied with so many other things, and to be completely honest, I don't plan on continuing to write on this site. Therefore, **Star Fox: Endgame** is tentatively my final story I'll be posting on FanFiction.

I can't say with 100% certainty I'm leaving forever, but it is highly likely. I have many things going on in my future, and I just don't think I'll be able to manage keeping up with this site. That, and I've also had a lack of motivation to write more FanFics. Ever since my closest friend on this site left, I haven't had the encouragement or inspiration to keep up actively here. That being said, I wanted to create one final story - a parting story before I leave.

I might still read and review a few stories here, but not as often as I used to. It's incredible to think I've had an account here for 6 years; 6 years of writing stories and reading many others! I've had a lot of fun thinking of new ideas, communicating with others around the site, and finding a lot of stories I've come to love. I know it's sappy to sound so nostalgic, but that's just the way I am. There are a lot of memories for me tied to this site, and I thank everyone who played a part in the journey. I thank everyone for all the support they've given me, through follows, favorites, reviews, and PMs. Most notably, I'd like to thank **general whitefur, Troygroomes, Lylat Legend, Cpt. Fox, Cheesebomb 30, Calise Serana** , and **ShiverIntheLight** for all that you've given me. Thank you so much; I wish you all the best in life!

Finally, this story is dedicated to **ShiverIntheLight** , the closest and best friend I ever had on this site. I don't know where you've gone or what you're up to these days, but **ShiverIntheLight** , I thank you so much for being a light in my life - someone I could talk to and trust. I miss you so much, but I'm confident whatever you are doing, you are doing it successfully. You gave me the spark I needed to write here, and always helped lift my spirits up. I hope someday we can talk again, but if not, I promise I'll always be grateful for the time we did have. You are truly a unique and wonderful person; thank you.

Once more, I thank everyone for everything. I promise to put effort into this 20th and final story, and I do hope you all can enjoy it. I'm so glad for the time I've had writing here, and I know I can never forget it. Thank you everyone; FoxRocks out! Onto the story...


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _Age is a funny thing._

Fox McCloud thought these words to himself as he reclined in his maroon armchair. He thought hard, his dulled, green eyes staring into space. Into nothing. He was sitting in his modest house, but he was entirely inside his head.

 _Is 32 old? Does it matter? I feel old. Numbers don't really bear much significance, do they? I've killed who knows how many criminals. I did it for the right reasons, of course; it doesn't matter exactly how many I had to kill. It was all for the greater good. I wouldn't kill if I wasn't a mercenary, after all. I killed them so that they couldn't kill the innocent. I'm no psychopath. I am old, though. I don't care what the number is; all I know is, I'm getting older..._

The phone rang, bringing Fox outside of his head. Had he not been seated beside it, perhaps he would have remained. Fox cleared his throat and picked up the phone, preparing himself to speak for the first time in a couple days.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Fox!"

It was Falco. Falco Lombardi. Fox's teammate, a fellow mercenary who was quite brash and arrogant. A great pilot, but certainly too cocky. Still, Falco was a friend of Fox's, and the two had shared many adventures together.

"Hi, Falco," Fox mumbled.

"What's been going on with you, man? You're like some kind of recluse these days or something," Falco said.

"I dunno, Falco. Just relaxing, I suppose," Fox said back.

"Well, maybe you could drag yourself out and meet up for some chow," Falco said. "Katt and I haven't been so cool lately, and I didn't feel like eating by myself. How about it?"

Katt Monroe was Falco's on-and-off girlfriend. No one really knew how close they were, but Fox guessed the relationship was too volatile to ever be too serious.

"Yeah, sure," Fox complied.

"Great! It's been too long since I've seen ya; how does Jerry's sound?" Falco asked.

"Just fine," Fox replied.

"Perfect! And is, uh, 7 alright?" Falco asked.

"I'll be there," Fox said.

"Beautiful! Just make sure you make it; we gotta catch up! See ya Fox!" Falco said.

"Bye, Falco," Fox said, hanging up the phone right after.

Fox took a deep sigh, knowing he now had an appointment to show up for. He didn't mind seeing Falco again, but he didn't want to leave the house. He didn't feel like being around in public right now. He wanted more time to think alone, even if it wasn't doing much good. He just didn't want to deal with any additional drama.

 _Why did Falco have to pick today? I just needed today. Oh, I hope it's not too crowded. It should just be a brief get-together, right? Just a friendly conversation and some catch-up. Not too long. Then I can get back and relax._

Fox checked the clock on his wall. 5:37. He wished it was an hour or two earlier. With a grunt, Fox pulled himself off his chair and went upstairs to change out of his pajamas and get ready.

* * *

Luckily, the restaurant wasn't far from Fox's house, so he simply walked there. Corneria City was a large city, so Cornerians often used public transportation to get from place to place. It was the center and bulk of Planet Corneria, home to Fox and most of the people he knew.

Just five minutes before 7:00, Fox arrived at the destination, staying true to his word. _Jerry's Bar and Grill_ , the restaurant's title, was lit up by a blue neon sign on the building. Fox had been here before, and he remembered enjoying the place, but it wasn't anything spectacular. This particular bar was separated from the many other buildings of the city, which gave it a unique sense of identity at least. Most of the restaurants in Corneria City were bunched together, or were at least in very close proximity.

Much to Fox's dismay, it was crowded; dogs, cats, birds, foxes, frogs, rabbits, pigs, and other creatures poured into the restaurant, making ample noise as they went along. Fox never liked crowds, but especially not lately, since he was trying to get a lot of quiet time at home. He looked around to see if he could find Falco, but could not see him. Falco was a tall, blue avian, so he would normally stand out in a crowd. Once 7:00 came, Fox decided to just go inside. He figured Falco was late, which wasn't uncommon at all.

Inside, the restaurant was hazily lit by red and blue lights, and there were several TVs mounted in different sections. It was a fairly large bar, so there was plenty of room to seat the noisy crowds. Fox waited in line to be seated, and looked over the bar as he stood. He liked the dimly lit atmosphere, but not so much all the TV screens. Too many.

When it became his turn, Fox asked the greeter, "Has a blue bird come in? His name is Falco."

The greeter, a short, brown bulldog, thought for a moment. "Oh yes; he's expecting you. He came in about fifteen minutes ago. Please follow me."

Fox did as he was told, following the greeter through the busy restaurant to find his friend. He was truly surprised Falco was so early, which was a first to Fox's knowledge. After making their way to the back of the building, the greeter seated Fox with Falco, who was already drinking something and looking impatient.

"Glad you could make it, buddy!" Falco said, eyes beaming.

"Yeah. You got here early," Fox stated.

"Eh, I had nothing better to do," Falco replied coolly. "I already ordered myself some pizza. So tell me, what've you been up to lately?"

Before Fox could answer, a waitress arrived. She was a slender, bright pink cat, and just from looking at her one could tell she had quite a bubbly personality. Her nametag displayed the name Amy.

"Thank you for coming, sir! May I get you a drink?" Amy asked Fox with a wide smile.

"Uh, just a water, please," Fox said.

"That's it?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, that's all," Fox confirmed.

"I'll be right back with that! Please look over the menu, and I'll be back to take your order on any food you might like!" Amy said, and left to get Fox's water.

Falco took a sip of his drink, which appeared to be beer, as he watched the waitress walk off.

"Whew, she is cute," he thought aloud, grinning to himself. "I wonder if she has a boyfriend…"

Fox made no reply, and began to look at the menu. He really wasn't that hungry; he rarely ever was these days. Everything he looked at seemed to be too much.

"Anything look appetizing to you, sir?"

Amy was already back, and had placed a glass of water in front of Fox. Fox thought for a moment, deciding if he wanted anything at all. He figured he had better get something in his stomach tonight.

"Could I just get the house salad?" Fox requested.

"Absolutely," Amy replied. She then turned to Falco. "Anything else for you, sir?"

"Not more food. But I would like to know, when do you get off work?" Falco asked with a devious grin.

Amy chuckled nervously, and replied, "Sorry, but I've already settled down! Please, let me go take care of your food."

She walked away again, and Falco was left to feel dejected. Fox shook his head, embarrassed by his friend's forwardness. He had probably been flirting with her as long as he had been there.

Falco sighed, and told Fox, "When I said Katt and I weren't cool lately, I meant it. I don't think we're getting back together again this time, you know?"

"I see," Fox said. "Sorry to hear it."

"Yeah," Falco said. "So, back to where we were – what have you been up to? We haven't talked in way too long!"

Fox, looking at his water rather than Falco, replied, "I've just been laying low. Haven't really been doing much of anything, except thinking. I haven't felt like getting out much."

"Yeesh, what happened to you?" Falco asked, staring at his friend with genuine concern. "I mean, I know you were always the serious type, but you seem kind of depressed! Ever since the Anglar War, you haven't been the same, man."

Two and a half years had passed since the Anglar War ended. Fox had reunited the teammates of the Star Fox squadron – Falco, Slippy Toad, and Krystal – to take down the Anglar forces that had threatened the Lylat System. The team members had gone their separate ways before the war for different reasons, and though they were technically reunited now, they hadn't seen action since the Anglar Emperor was defeated. Slippy's fiancée, Amanda, also joined the Star Fox team once the conflict was over. Not long after, Slippy and Amanda married, and they were living on the planet Aquas currently. Falco attempted various missions by himself for rewards, unable to enjoy a quieter life away from thrills. Krystal, Fox's former love, lived a quiet life on Corneria, but had not stayed in touch with Fox since the war. Having rejoined the team, the two were on good enough terms, but Fox wished they could be close again…

"You're right," Fox agreed, thinking of how the times had changed. "I guess I just wish things could be like they used to - before any of the Anglar attacks..."

"Is it about Krystal?" Falco boldly asked.

"…a lot of it, yeah," Fox admitted.

"Well, at least she's not flying with Star Wolf anymore, huh?" Falco remarked.

It was some consolation, Fox supposed. Fearing for her safety, Fox had forced Krystal off the Star Fox team, which left her heartbroken and angry. She joined with Star Wolf, the rival squadron of Star Fox, and remained with them for a little while. In the Anglar War, she had decided to return to the Star Fox team after a sincere plead from Fox. She had only joined Star Wolf to get back at Fox, but knew it was wrong. Krystal helped win the war, and though she and Fox had not regained their relationship, she was glad to be back with the team. Fox was glad she returned, but loneliness had stuck him ever since he had forced her off the team.

"Right," Fox agreed. "I never should have made her leave, you know…"

"Hey man, no one's perfect," Falco replied. "You only wanted what you thought was best at the time! Live and learn, right?"

"Yeah," Fox said sadly.

Falco decided against pursing the topic, knowing it was a sensitive spot for Fox. In a way, Falco was envious, knowing that Fox and Krystal had shared a very close bond. He never managed to get that close to Katt, or anyone else. Falco and Fox sat in silence for a few moments, thinking about the state of their relationships. As they did, one of the TVs caught Fox's eye, and he suddenly paid attention to a news broadcast.

"…due to this incredible population growth on Venom, the tensions are rising between the once barren planet and the capital of Lylat, Corneria. Dash Bowman, leader of Venom, has made big talk about how he has made Venom a better place than Corneria in such short time. Rumors have been constantly circulating as of late that Bowman has an army and weaponry that is at least equivalent to that of Corneria…"

Fox looked away from the TV reporter to Falco. "Do you remember Dash Bowman?"

"Bowman?" Falco had to think for a moment. "Yeah; didn't he stay on Venom after the war?"

"Yeah…" Fox replied. "News is saying he may have built up a lot of military force in the meantime. Doesn't sound good."

"Might just be for protection?" Falco optimistically suggested. "Remember, he used to fight for the Cornerian Army."

"True, but he is the grandson of Andross," Fox stated. "Who knows what could be going through his head. I'd keep an eye out."

"True enough," Falco agreed. "Oikonny was more than enough to deal with!"

Fox nodded his head in agreement. Dash had once helped Fox in the Anglar War on Corneria, and he seemed to hold a respect for Fox and his team. However, his grandfather, Andross, had once waged one of the bloodiest wars in Lylat's history, and was responsible for the death of Fox's father, James McCloud. Andrew Oikonny, Andross's nephew, had once been with the Star Wolf squadron, and had remained a thorn in Fox's side ever since.

Amy returned to Fox and Falco's table with their ordered food, handing Fox his salad and Falco his pizza. They thanked her before she left to take care of the next customer. Once they started eating, Fox and Falco started talking about more casual things, each wanting to get off of heavy subjects.

* * *

Fox returned home by 9:00, happy he didn't have to stay out any longer. It was nice to see Falco again, but he still didn't want to be with any crowds or loud noise. The rest of the night out had been uneventful, following the disturbing news Fox heard about Bowman. When he crawled into bed for the night, having decided to go to sleep early, he thought about it.

 _Who knows; maybe he's just trying to get some attention? Maybe all the army is just for defense? He seemed like a good kid. Unless he changed…_

More thoughts about Bowman went through Fox's mind. More worries, more possibilities, more ideas… All of it carried on until Fox fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

" _It's beautiful today, isn't it, James?"_

" _Yes, my love, it is."_

 _James and Vixy held hands as they walked through the park, blissful as could be. They loved to take walks together, just enjoying the fresh air and each other's company. They often took their young son, Fox, with them. He was walking behind them, doing his best to keep up with their pace. Whenever he fell too far behind, his parents waited for him, and he caught up. It was indeed a beautiful day outside; there was sunshine, a light breeze, and a clear, blue sky._

" _It's so much nicer when you're around, James…"_

" _It's nice to be around, Vixy…"_

 _They spoke in reference to the fact James was gone so often, serving as the leader of Star Fox. James hated to be away from his beloved wife and son, but he felt obligated to fight for Corneria, which he had made a long career of. The three McClouds cherished any time they had together, even if it wasn't a lot._

 _Young Fox found himself lagging behind more than usual, and his parents kept on walking and talking, seemingly unaware he had fallen behind again. The once sunny sky had suddenly turned a dark gray, and the entire environment started to turn black. Fox began to run now, but it was no use; the faster he ran, the further his parents got from him. Fox could only watch his parents disappear, leaving him behind, leaving him to be lost…_

Fox jolted awake, feeling sweat running down his cheeks. He had experienced this feeling too many times in the past few months. Too many dreams like this. Too many memories twisted. No escape… Defeated, Fox buried his head in his hands, deciding not to go back to sleep.

* * *

After thinking through the rest of the night, Fox decided he wanted to visit Peppy Hare. He was like a father to Fox, and one of the few comforts he had left. Peppy was James's closest friend and used to be a Star Fox member, but had retired from the squadron and currently served as the Cornerian Army General. He replaced General Pepper shortly before the Anglar War, who passed away from a severe illness soon after the war.

Fox decided he would go to the Cornerian Army Center later, when he knew Peppy would be close to getting off work. Fox spent the daytime continuing to think things over, much like yesterday. And many days before that. He thought about the dream with his parents; it was the first he had in a long time to include his mother, who had died when Fox was very young. Many of the dreams he had lately included his father, but not his mother. He wished he could have known her better. He also had many dreams of Krystal – ones that usually began benignly, and then turned sour like his latest dream. Many of his memories returned to him in his dreams, first bringing Fox to a calm and happy state, and then they would turn on him. He did figure though it wouldn't be any worse than to dream only of happier times, only to wake up and find himself where he was now.

Fox also thought about last night, eating dinner with Falco and hearing about Dash Bowman. It was pitifully one of the most eventful nights Fox had experienced in a while, so it stayed in his mind. He was grateful to still have a friend in Falco, but he wasn't a comforting source like Peppy. Getting out of the house again though helped inspire Fox to visit Peppy, and Fox knew if anyone could help ease his mind, it was him. Fox thought about Dash, and how he had once helped him defeat Anglar forces on Corneria.

 _He played a part in helping us win that war. He seemed just fine! Unless it was all just a part of his plan… to let us get the device and clear up Venom so he could take it… continuing Andross's legacy…_

Before killing the Anglar Emperor on Venom, the Star Fox team recovered a device from Planet Titania, which was used to neutralize the acid of Venom's seas, and also helped the planet return to a hospitable area. Andross had created and hidden this device on Titania, and the Star Fox team found it and used it to enter Venom and eradicate the Anglar forces. When the war was over, Dash stayed on Venom, and he rebuilt it to be a strong planet like Corneria. Many residents from all over the Lylat System moved to Venom as the news spread, and it seemed now Dash wanted it to be the galaxy's most prominent planet. Fox was truly worried there would be another war.

Once the early evening arrived, Fox left to go to the Cornerian Army Center. He still knew the path there, and he decided to just take a walk instead of paying a bus fee. Fox still had plenty of money from his time with Star Fox, but he tried to conserve it whenever possible. He hadn't bothered looking for any part-time jobs yet. He also figured he needed more fresh air tonight, so he just walked.

To a tourist, Corneria City would be a beautiful site, but Fox had lived here so long he stopped admiring how grand and beautiful it was. The tall buildings, the beautiful lights at nighttime, the sheer, large scale; all of it was simply familiar to Fox. It was a quieter night outside than usual, to Fox's enjoyment. Many hadn't left work yet, but usually the streets of Corneria were always bustling. When he reached the Cornerian Army Center, he noticed some people were leaving. He hoped Peppy hadn't left early.

The Cornerian Army Center was one of the most impressive buildings on the planet. It was actually comprised of more than one building, but the main one, the office building, was a giant, blue dome, and it donned the Cornerian Army logo. Fox went inside, and when he explained who he was, the receptionist immediately allowed him to see Peppy. Fox had to navigate through some hallways and up some stairs, until he was able to find his old friend. There were hundreds of glass doors with names on each of them, so it wasn't an easy task to find Peppy's office despite getting instructions from the receptionist. Fox eventually found the door he wanted, with the words, "General Peppy Hare" marking it. Fox knocked on it.

"Come in!"

Fox entered the room following Peppy's permission. He found Peppy sitting behind a desk, with a stack of paperwork in front of him. The room included numerous cabinets, a stuffed trash can in one corner, and also a computer on the desk. Peppy looked up from a paper he was writing on, and saw Fox standing in the doorway. Peppy was a gray rabbit with dark, red eyes, and was wearing the traditional bright red uniform of the Cornerian Army General. He also sported a large mustache beneath his nose and small spectacles.

"Fox! What a pleasant surprise!" Peppy greeted him, baring a large smile.

"It's great to see you again, Peppy," Fox said, making a slight smile.

Peppy got up from his desk to greet Fox with a bear hug, to which Fox reciprocated meekly. He didn't mind the affection, but Peppy sure gave a tight hug.

"It's been too long, Fox! What brings you here?" Peppy asked.

Fox, a little hesitant, began slowly, "Well… I really just came here to talk…"

"Great! Maybe we could catch up?" Peppy suggested eagerly.

Fox held off on opening up, instead asking Peppy, "Sure; how have you been?"

Peppy's smile drooped, and he answered, "Could be better. In all honesty, I've become bored by the job. It's been nothing but overseeing things and paperwork lately. Lots of tedious regulations and whatnot. Frankly, I think I'll be retiring soon!"

"You've more than earned it," Fox said. "There's no need for you to put up with a job you don't like."

"Well, thank you," Peppy said. "But I couldn't refuse General Pepper when he asked me, rest his soul. Of course, that was a different time, when we were at war, and now it's been quiet for some time thankfully. I have heard rumblings though about Venom lately. That Dash Bowman seems to be an unstable character…"

"Yeah, I heard about it too," Fox said. "Just last night, on the TV. Let's hope it's just talk."

"Indeed," Peppy agreed, nodding grimly. "Andross was hard enough to deal with, let alone his grandson. I remember seeing him during the Anglar War; he seemed like a nice kid!"

"I thought so too," Fox replied. "He helped me out in a battle before I made my way to Venom. I didn't even know it was Andross's grandson until later, when he told me he wanted to stay on Venom after the war, but I figured it didn't matter that much. Just because he's related to Andross doesn't mean he has to be the same way, right?"

"True," Peppy said. "However, he might be bitter about Andross. Maybe he was just waiting for the opportunity to get back at us?"

"I thought about that," Fox said. "I did kill his grandfather… It makes sense he'd be bitter about it."

"True, but a full-scale war is no way to go about it," Peppy commented.

"It might not matter; he could be a madman, just like Andross," Fox replied. "We went to war because he was bitter about his banishment. I'd say that was taking things too far."

"You're right," Peppy agreed. "We definitely need to stay alert. But enough talk about war; I want to know how you've been!"

Fox sighed, and replied, "Not so great, really. A lot of bad dreams lately, not feeling well. You could say I'm kind of at a loss right now."

"Really? Why is that?" Peppy asked, with fatherly concern in his voice.

Fox hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Well… I just haven't really had much of a drive. You know, to do anything."

Peppy placed a hand on Fox's shoulder, and tried to offer reassuring words. "Maybe it's because you were so used to flying with Star Fox? I know that you must have gotten very used to it, so a lack of purpose would be understandable. But maybe there's a new calling out there for you. You might just not have found it yet."

"Could be," Fox said. "I'm not sure if I want to keep flying or not. I really don't know. In the last war, I thought about my future. About what I really wanted. I hated myself for forcing Krystal off the team. I shouldn't have pushed her away like that. I only wanted her safety, but I shouldn't have made her leave. She knew what she was doing, just like me and the rest. I was selfish… I eventually realized I only wanted a life with her, but it was too late…"

The two stood silent for a moment. Fox was frustrated with himself all over again, reliving his mistake again.

 _She knew the risks. She had just as much a right to be there as me. But I didn't want her to die…_

"She is back with the team though, right?" Peppy asked.

"Yes," Fox confirmed. "She and I never exactly made up, though. I mean I apologized and everything, but she… she didn't really seem interested in getting close again. I'll probably never have that again. Peppy, I don't know what to do…"

"Call her," Peppy said, almost immediately.

Fox looked at him incredulously. "Call her? We haven't spoken in months, and I… why would she want to hear from me?"

"Fox, you have to make contact again," Peppy told him softly. "You don't know until you try. I knew you two were very close. If that love is as strong as I thought, you two can make up and go on. You have to try."

Fox thought about it. The thought had crossed his mind months ago, but he had instantly decided against it, figuring Krystal would have no interest to be with him anymore. As far as he knew, she only rejoined the team to keep fighting for the galaxy. Not to be with him again. Then again, he never knew for certain. Was it possible she would want to be with him again?

"I'll try," Fox agreed. "I don't want to live with any serious regrets if I can avoid it. Seems like I've been stuck in the regret of losing her, though… do you have any regrets, Peppy?"

Peppy thought for a moment, before answering, "Nothing too serious, I suppose. Everyone has some, big or small, but I try to be at peace. Take it from an old rabbit, Fox – you want to settle anything you can while you're young. Even if things don't go your way, at least you'll know you tried to make things right."

Fox nodded, and said, "You're right Peppy. If I don't try to talk to her again, that'll just be another thing on my mind. I'm just worried no good will come out of it."

"Don't worry," Peppy replied, smiling at Fox. "If you worry, you won't have confidence. You were such a confident leader, Fox; I know you can at least try."

"Thanks, Peppy," Fox said, and he managed a full smile. "I really appreciate you being here to talk to me, you know."

"It's my pleasure," Peppy replied. "I think of you as my own son, you know. And I'm proud of the man you've become. Just because you're lost now doesn't mean you can't find your way back."

Fox was the one to hug Peppy this time, truly grateful for him. He loved him like a father. He was the one person Fox could open up to and fully trust. Falco and Slippy were good company, but not like this.

"Thank you."

"It's all right, Fox. I know you'll be all right."

When they released hugging, Fox gave Peppy another smile, and said, "It was great seeing you again, Peppy."

"It was great to see you again as well, Fox," Peppy replied, smiling back. "You know you're always welcome to drop by. Please, do take care."

"You too, Peppy," Fox said. As he made his way for the exit, he added, "And don't stick around here if you don't want to!"

Peppy chuckled, and said back, "You let me worry about that!"

Fox nodded, still smiling, and left the office. Today he had genuinely smiled for the first time in a long while. In his mind, he thanked Peppy for that as well.

* * *

When Fox returned home, he still delayed for a couple hours before calling Krystal. He wanted to get it over with tonight, or he'd be stuck thinking about it in bed all night. He practiced what he wanted to say several times before actually picking up the phone. He talked to himself and paced his living room, hoping he could find the exact, right words. He knew it'd be much harder when he actually talked to her, but he hoped he'd be better prepared this way.

After a while, he decided to make the call. He took a deep breath, anxious to hear her voice again for the first time in months. Finally, he picked up the phone, and dialed her number. He never forgot her number. He pressed the phone to his ear, and with each ring, his heart beat faster. He could feel himself sweating, worrying more and more. And then…

" _Hello, you've reached Krystal. I'm sorry I'm not available to take your call right now, but if you leave your name and number, I'd be happy to get back to you. Thank you."_

Her answering machine. Fox groaned at the anticlimax, before speaking into the phone. He was still nervous, but not as much. He knew he didn't have to give her his number, so he just went on with his message.

"Um, Krystal… It's Fox. I-I know we haven't spoken, for a while, but I really want to talk with you. I just, uh, I just want to see you again. I wondered if maybe we could see each other again. There's some things I really want, really want to say. I just wonder if maybe we could get together. Please, call back. I, I hope you're doing well. Bye."

Fox quickly hung up. He breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting the call off his chest. He could only hope now she would reply, and that the reply would be a positive one. He was glad he took Peppy's advice, even though he still worried it would be for nothing.

After the call, Fox went to his bed and curled up again for the night. He sincerely hoped he'd sleep better tonight. He felt particularly alone right now, particularly depressed. He wished Krystal was with him. And that it could be years ago, when he thought they'd always be together. He wanted her back.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Fox managed to get through the night without having another nightmare, to his relief. It was a threat every night, but he couldn't just avoid sleeping. He managed to make up for some lost sleep the night before, sleeping until 1:00 in the afternoon. The first thing he did after getting out of bed was going downstairs to check his phone.

Fox was still nervous, hoping Krystal had already left a message. He also figured it was possible she might just ignore him, assuming she had no interest in seeing him outside of Star Fox. When he checked the phone for messages, he did discover he had one. And it was from Krystal. Eager, and scared, Fox played the message.

" _Fox – I got your message. It's been a long time. You're welcome to come over for dinner tonight, at 5:30. Bye."_

That was it. Fox was glad to receive the invitation, but Krystal didn't exactly sound enthusiastic about it. He still wondered how she felt, but figured the invitation was much better than nothing.

Fox spent the time leading up to dinner by worrying, and thinking of exactly what he should say. He hoped Krystal would be fairly open to what he'd say. He had no idea what to expect.

 _What if it just turns into a bunch of arguing? I'd get nowhere. She might still hate me! But if she really hated me, she probably wouldn't have had me over. What if she wanted to kill me? Actually kill me? Could she hate me that much? No, that's stupid; she'd never go that far. She wouldn't, right? I mean, she came back to the team and everything. Is there any chance she'd want to get back together? She'll probably just say let's forget all about it and just stay out of each other's lives. I don't know. It has been a long time…_

As the day went on, Fox continued to think it over and worry. He knew it was unhealthy. He knew he should try to stop being so anxious. He had been this way for so long though, he didn't know how else he should think.

Shortly before 5:00, Fox got ready to go. He still remembered how to get to Krystal's house; it took about twenty-five minutes to walk there from his house. Fox knew it was good for him to get outside again, and it was something he should make a habit of. He left the house just after 5:00, trying to time it perfectly.

The streets were busy today, like usual. Fox figured it wouldn't be as empty outside as yesterday, unfortunately. He had to maneuver his way through the crowds to make sure he would get there on time. If there was one thing he could change about living on Corneria, it would be having fewer crowds.

* * *

Eventually Fox did make it. He hadn't been to Krystal's house in a long time, but he hadn't forgotten about it at all; how long it took to get there, where it was, how it looked, and so forth. He stood outside to stare at the house for a few moments, very anxious to see Krystal again. He took a deep breath, and he made his way for the door. He knocked three times, and in less than five seconds, Krystal opened the door.

When they saw each other again, they stood still for a moment to look closely at one another. They each looked more haggard and dispirited since they had last seen each other, but not much less attractive. Fox still found Krystal quite beautiful, and he was glad to see her face again.

"Hello," Krystal plainly addressed Fox.

"Hi," Fox said back, still nervous.

"Let's go inside," Krystal said.

Fox slowly followed her inside. He closed the door behind him, and started to nervously look around before making eye contact with Krystal again. He remained anxious, hoping he would start to feel a little more comfortable soon.

"Thank you for having me over," Fox said, as calmly as he could.

"Of course," Krystal replied hastily. "Excuse me."

She rushed away to the kitchen. Fox looked over the house, noticing it was much neater than his own. He used to be quite organized, but over the last year or so he had become lazy, so he didn't clean often. It was a small house, like his, but still plenty of room for one person.

"Please, come in and sit down; the food is almost done!" Krystal yelled from the kitchen.

Fox made his way into the kitchen, and found Krystal taking care of the food. It was spaghetti. Fox went to the other side of the kitchen to the table, which was fairly small; it would only seat 4 people at the most. There were already plates and utensils set up for the meal. He took a seat and patiently waited for Krystal to bring the food over. She did soon enough, bringing a bowl of spaghetti and a bowl of sauce, and she took her seat across the table from Fox.

"Spaghetti; hope you like it," Krystal said.

"Thank you very much," Fox replied politely.

It was still awkward between them. Krystal had put a large spoon inside each bowl for them to take what they wanted. Each was waiting for the other to get their food, until eventually Krystal served herself first. Fox followed suit, and the two began to eat in silence for a while. Fox was thinking of what he should say first, and decided it was best to start with small talk.

"So, have you been well?"

Krystal finished chewing the food in her mouth, and quietly replied, "Okay. Yourself?"

"Been better," Fox admitted sadly. He paused, then asked, "What have you been up to these days?"

"Well, I've been working a part time job at a garden," Krystal informed him. "Just trying to make some extra money until Star Fox flies again…"

"I see…" Fox said. "Well, that's a good idea."

"Thanks," Krystal said. She then asked, "Have you been working?"

"No," Fox answered. "I haven't been up to much, really. Maybe I should have gotten a job, you know? I should have…"

Krystal hesitated to ask, but eventually did, "Why not?"

Fox was hesitant to answer, but decided to be completely truthful. "I've been in a slump, honestly. Kind of depressed. I've just been thinking a lot lately, about a lot of things. I recently realized I needed to see you again. I've missed you…"

There was a moment of awkward silence again. Krystal didn't know how she should reply, and Fox was worried he had said too much too soon. He decided to speak again, and lay all his cards on the table.

"I know you can't be too happy with me about the past, and I know I screwed things up for both of us, but I really want us to be okay again," Fox explained. He was starting to feel very emotional as he went on, "I can't keep going through life like this. I don't want to live with the regret of never trying to make it up to you. I already hate myself for hurting you before. I know I don't deserve a second chance, but I need you to know I care about you, and my mistake has stayed with me every moment since it happened. You don't have to care about me, or even be near me if you don't want, but I have to tell you these things. I hope you understand. I've loved you since I first saw you, and I'll never stop loving you. My love was misplaced when I made you leave; I didn't want you to die, but I didn't consider your feelings or what you wanted. I was stupid. But I never stopped loving you, Krystal. I never will. I am sorry about what I've done to you. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just needed to tell you that..."

Fox had finished. He didn't know what to expect next, but he had nothing else to add. He could only hope Krystal would take it well. Her first response wasn't at all what Fox expected.

"I made a mistake, too," Krystal admitted. "I never should have joined Star Wolf. They're criminals. That was wrong…"

"Krystal…" Fox pleaded. His last intention was to make her feel guilty about anything. "Please…"

"No, I shouldn't have done it," Krystal said. "I was angry… but it was wrong. I regret turning to them. Fox… thank you, for telling me how you feel."

Fox looked at her, noticing she was also becoming emotional. He replied, "It's the least I owe you. Thank you for having me here."

They had completely forgotten about the food, now totally concerned about each other. Many thoughts and questions raced through their minds, as they wondered what they should say next. Where they should go from here…

"So… what now?" Krystal asked.

"I don't know," Fox answered weakly. "I'd like to try again… but I understand if you don't want to."

"I do," Krystal replied. Fox's ears perked up, and his eyes lit up. She went on, "It has been a long time… I never stopped caring about you, Fox. I was angry, and maybe I hated you for a time, but part of me never let go. I know your heart is good. I missed being together. I'm willing to try to get that back..."

Fox was speechless. A tremendous warmth came over his entire body, and he felt more alive than he had in years. He never thought he'd feel this way again.

 _She never stopped caring…_

"Thank you, Krystal…" Fox said softly.

"No need," Krystal replied. She then said, "I think it's best we don't think about what happened. I just want to start all over..."

"Yes," Fox agreed. "I won't hurt you again. I promise."

Krystal smiled at him, which made Fox even happier. As his eyes met hers, he smiled back. He had regained her trust. He wouldn't lose it this time. He swore that to himself.

"Now, then… shall we continue eating?" Krystal suggested, chuckling.

"Yes! Of course!" Fox agreed.

He felt so happy! So grateful! So alive! He never expected his visit to go over this well. They continued eating their food, each of them feeling better now.

"So, how about TV after dinner?" Krystal suggested.

 _She wants me to stay! This is amazing!_ Fox thought to himself.

"Sure!" Fox said. "A movie or something would be great!"

Krystal smiled again. Fox was overjoyed. They were back together, and it was because they never stopped caring about one another.

 _Peppy was right_ , Fox realized. _Our love was strong enough to endure…_

"Delicious," Fox commented as he ate, grinning. "I wish I could cook like this…"

"Thank you," Krystal replied.

They continued to eat and talk together, each of them now totally carefree. The mood completely changed from awkward and somber to comfortable and joyful. It was like it used to be…

After dinner, Fox and Krystal retired to the living room to watch TV. They sat together on Krystal's couch, which was a creamy white color. It was the color of most of the furniture in her house. Krystal flipped through several channels until they found an intriguing action film they both took a liking to. It was a movie about some assassin hired to hunt down these dangerous robots that looked just like people. They both found it quite interesting.

Unfortunately, as a particularly suspenseful scene was unfolding, an emergency news broadcast interrupted the film. Fox groaned, as he was really getting into the film. The news reporter was a short, gray cat who looked very worried. Anticipating something bad, Fox and Krystal began to share this worry. He swallowed hard before making the announcement.

"We interrupt your program for an emergency broadcast. Dash Bowman, the leader of Planet Venom, has declared war on the Lylat System. I repeat, Dash Bowman has declared war on Lylat. Reasons for this are unknown, but every planet is advised to ready their military for defense. Attacks could come at any time…"

Fox and Krystal slowly turned their heads to look at one another.

"We're at war again…" Krystal said quietly.

Fox simply nodded, as solemn as she was. _Here we go again…_


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The following day, an emergency meeting was set to take place at the Cornerian Army Center. Being the general, Peppy was to be the speaker. The Cornerian Army, the Star Fox team, and a few other military leaders from other planets were going to attend. The Lylat System was at war again, and everyone needed to prepare for it.

When called upon, Slippy and Amanda traveled from Aquas to Corneria to rejoin the Star Fox team and attend the meeting. Bill Grey, an old friend of Fox's who was stationed on Katina, was coming as well. Though several planets didn't have their own military, Corneria's Army helped protect many of them, including Katina.

Everyone assembled at the Cornerian Army Center's meeting room for the briefing. It was a very large, dark-blue colored room, filled with chairs for the attendees. Having not seen each in other in some time, Slippy and Amanda greeted their old teammates Fox, Falco, and Krystal with much enthusiasm. Fox also greeted Bill before the meeting began, happy to see his friend again. At the moment though, there was not much time to catch up. Once the meeting room was full, Peppy called for silence and began the briefing.

"As you all know, we are having this meeting in light of Dash Bowman's declaration of war," Peppy began. "Due to Bowman's past comments and the changing state of Venom, this is a situation I have prepared for. Of course, we don't know how Bowman will act – what planets he will attack and how quickly he moves – but it is important we retain a substantial portion of the army here on Corneria. Of course, we will send aid to the planets that need it, but we cannot afford to lower our defenses here. Losing Corneria would be detrimental to our chances of winning the war. So, many of you will be staying here to keep our planet safe. Many of you will also be sent to different planets to fend off Bowman's forces. Now, we can't afford to be strictly defensive either. If we stay entirely defensive, the war will drag out and more lives will be lost. That is why I am sending the Star Fox team to Venom to take care of Bowman."

Fox's ears perked up. He wasn't surprised Peppy wanted Star Fox to take down Bowman, but he was still excited to have the main task. Along with the team, of course.

"If Star Fox can make their way to Venom and subdue Bowman, his army will lose direction, and we should be able to more easily win the war. Should this plan fail, we may just have to send a large attack to Venom. The important thing is to end this as quickly as we can, and prevent as many casualties as possible. The galaxy has seen enough wars in recent memory, and lost far too many lives. Are there any questions about anything?"

A bulldog slowly raised his hand. Peppy took immediate notice and called on him.

"Yes, soldier?" Peppy asked.

"Which units stay and which units go?" the bulldog asked.

"The bulldog and husky units will remain here," Peppy answered. "Others will be sent to different planets as needed. Are there any other questions?"

No one else in the room raised their hand or spoke. Peppy nodded solemnly, and looked over all the warriors.

"All of you – your service is deeply appreciated, and I thank you all for fighting for our galaxy. I am confident we will once again emerge victorious, no matter the cost. Let us hope that cost is not great, and that this war be over very soon. Star Fox, I'd like for you to make way for Venom immediately. Those here from other planets may return home. The rest of you are to stay at the base until further orders. That is all!"

As soon as Peppy finished, the Cornerian Army soldiers and military leaders made their way out of the meeting room. The Star Fox members remained until the soldiers were out. Fox in particular also wanted to talk to Peppy once more. The team got up from their seats and approached the general.

"Thanks for giving us the big job!" Fox said, beaming at his old friend.

"Of course," Peppy said. "After all, does Star Fox ever disappoint?"

"Nope!" Slippy cried. "You can count on us, Peppy!"

"Yes, we will get the job done!" Amanda added, squeezing Slippy's arm.

"We still got it, old man," Falco said with a smirk.

"We'll take care of it, Peppy," Krystal said.

"I thank you all for your help," Peppy told the team. "It seems it's always you all that we count on most! I know you'll be victorious. The new Great Fox is in the main hangar, equipped with Arwings and everything; wait 'till you see it!"

The original Great Fox ship had been destroyed in the Aparoid War, as a necessary sacrifice at the time. The team had flown in a different Great Fox during the Anglar War, but the ship died soon after the war. Peppy's enthusiasm made each team member look forward to what the newest one would be like. The team thanked Peppy and eagerly filed out of the room to see the new Great Fox.

The team quickly made their way to the Army Center's hangar. Copious amounts of Cornerian Army fighters filled the hangar, but the Great Fox was still immediately visible. Each Star Fox member paused, let their jaws drop, and admired the new vehicle.

This new Great Fox was essentially a sleeker, more beautiful version of the original. It was a little larger, but it was indeed very much like the Great Fox the team knew. Being so new, the impact was slighter on Amanda, who still was very excited to see the Great Fox. Nostalgia and excitement filled the other four, and each of them got wide smiles looking at the ship.

"That is one, fine ship…" Falco commented first.

"It's amazing! Just like the old one!" Slippy said.

"It is lovely," Amanda added.

"Brings back memories…" Krystal said.

"It does," Fox agreed.

It brought back even more memories for Fox than it did for Krystal. He had flown for several years longer, but he was glad it was also nostalgic to Krystal. He wanted them to be close like before, and he was very happy to be able to share memories of past times.

The five teammates approached the ship, preparing to board. They enjoyed a closer look at the vehicle's pristine quality, and they soaked it in, knowing it wouldn't look this immaculate for very long. When they all got inside the ship, they were greeted by a familiar face: ROB 64, the robot who helped manage the Great Fox from all the past missions. The team smiled at the old, golden robot.

"Welcome back, Star Fox," ROB greeted them in his familiar, monotone voice.

"'Sup, tin man!" Falco said.

"Hey, ROB!" Fox said.

 _This really feels like old times again,_ Fox thought. _The team is back together, the Great Fox is back, ROB is here… I'm here…_

"How've you been, ROB?" Slippy asked excitedly.

"I was shut down until just recently, and –"

"So basically nothin' to tell," Falco impatiently cut the robot off.

"I suppose…" ROB said.

"This, is, AWESOME!" Slippy exclaimed, running across the ship bridge.

Amanda giggled at the sight of her husband acting a fool. The others were observing the room, noticing that the interior was also nearly identical to the original Great Fox. They took their seats near the control center, preparing for the ride ahead. Eventually Amanda and Slippy joined them. After some button-pushing, ROB turned to face the crew.

"Great Fox is ready for takeoff," ROB announced.

"Is everyone ready?" Fox asked his teammates.

"Ready!" Slippy chirpily replied first.

"Ready!" Amanda said next.

"Let's move!" Falco chimed in.

"Ready," Krystal said last, giving Fox a warm smile.

He smiled back, and then looked at all his teammates. They were back together again. One more ride. He was back.

"Star Fox, move out!"

"Affirmative," ROB said.

ROB activated the ship's takeoff. As the ship took off, Fox's smile widened; he had regained the energy he possessed years ago. His depression was gone. He felt young…

ROB steered the ship out of the hangar, and soon out of Corneria's sky. They reached outer space in a time that would make any pilot envious. The course was charted for Venom.

The Great Fox blasted off through the stars, carrying Star Fox to their next adventure.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

For a while, it was smooth sailing for Star Fox. The team was getting relaxed and having a little fun; they talked to pass the time. ROB was making sure they stayed on the right course and nothing went wrong.

"So, how have you and Slippy been?" Krystal asked Amanda.

As Amanda opened her mouth to reply, Slippy excitedly cut in, "We've been great! Wonderful! Haven't we, Amanda?"

"Yes…" Amanda agreed, slightly irritated. She went on, "We've been just fine. Just been living quietly until we got the news about the war. How about you?"

"Okay I guess," Krystal replied. "Really, I'm glad to be doing something exciting again."

"I know I am," Falco spoke up. "I was getting real bored not having any action. I belong in a ship. How about you, Foxie?"

Fox hesitated before answering. He wasn't entirely sure himself, even though he had been a pilot for many years. He was happy to be back in a familiar environment, with all his friends back, but he still didn't know if this was what he wanted forever. To always be a warrior…

"I don't know, Falco," Fox said.

"Aw, come on!" Falco whined. "Don't we always have fun? You need this excitement more than the rest of us, anyway."

"I suppose," Fox admitted. "It's great to be back. Just don't know about the long-term future, you know?"

"Whatever," Falco said, brushing aside Fox's comments. "I'm gonna fly 'till I die!"

Fox nodded silently, figuring that would be his friend's response. Fox had no problem with it, but he wished he knew what he wanted for his own future. He was more than willing to fight for the galaxy again, but how much longer could he do it?

 _What do I really want…?_

He immediately thought about Krystal. About how much he loved her, having grown closer and closer to her through their time in battle together. A life with her would be all he needed…

"After all, what would the world be like without Star Fox?" Falco asked his teammates, arms spread.

Nobody answered, and the room became awkwardly silent. Truthfully, Falco was the only one who was certain about wanting to stay on the team forever. The rest, like Fox, were thinking about what they wanted.

"Come on, doesn't anyone want to keep on fighting bad guys?" Falco asked, clearly let down.

"Well, I'm not sure," Slippy finally replied. "Amanda and I were thinking about having some kids soon!"

"I see…" Falco said. Then he asked, "You, Krystal?"

"I'm not sure either," Krystal said.

"Geez," Falco exclaimed. "Guess I'll have to find some new pals in the future…"

After another moment of awkward silence, an alarm sounded. Each of the mercenaries jumped from their seats, startled by the noise. It was a much louder, different alarm than the one on the original Great Fox.

"Distress signals coming from Fichina and Titania," ROB announced to the crew.

Unsurprisingly, the new Great Fox was built with a detector for distress signals. Often times the team would receive these signals during wars and aid whoever needed help. With her telepathic abilities, Krystal also often sensed trouble coming from another planet, but not this time…

"Great," Falco muttered.

"What do we do?" Slippy asked.

"Yes, what's the plan?" Amanda asked.

"It's your call, Fox," Krystal said to Fox.

Fox thought for a moment about the situation. He definitely wanted to help the planets in need, even if it delayed the trip to Venom. He decided it was best to split into groups.

"I'll check out Fichina," Fox announced. "Someone can come along if they want. I need the rest of you to take care of Titania."

"I'll go with you," Krystal happily volunteered. "No need for you to go alone."

Fox smiled. "Thanks, Krystal. If the rest of you check out Titania, then hopefully we'll finish up quickly and regroup. Krystal and I will use the coordinates of the distress signal from Fichina. You guys can have the Great Fox. Make sure everyone keeps their communicators with them at all times. Krystal, let's get to the Arwings."

"Good luck!" Amanda said.

"Yeah, let's all come back in one piece," Falco wryly suggested.

"Let's get to work!" Slippy said.

Fox nodded. "ROB, stay in touch so we can have the coordinates for Fichina. Stay safe, everyone. Let's get it done."

Fox and Krystal took off for the Great Fox's hangar containing the Arwings. Luckily, the geography was the same as the original Great Fox, so the two were able to easily find the hangar, which was at the bottom of the ship. There were also still cabins for each of the team members to rest in. Once Fox and Krystal reached the hangar, Krystal abruptly stopped Fox before he could climb into an Arwing.

"What's wrong?" Fox asked.

"It's just… well, I didn't sense any danger," Krystal told him.

"What do you mean?" Fox questioned.

"You know how I've usually been able to sense danger in these situations?" Krystal asked him.

"Yes…" Fox replied.

"Well, I just didn't feel any disturbance on Fichina, despite the distress signal," Krystal explained. "We should move carefully; it could be a trap."

"You're right," Fox agreed. "Wouldn't surprise me if Bowman tried some kind of trick."

"Yes," Krystal said. "Let's go."

Fox and Krystal got into the first two Arwings; there were six in total. They closed the hatches and started up the Arwings. Each one contained a blaster and a missile launcher for when they needed to fight on the ground. Since the Arwing could receive information from the Great Fox, it would be easy for ROB to send the coordinates. Fox used his Arwing's intercom to contact ROB once he and Krystal were ready.

"Alright ROB, give us the coordinates for Fichina," Fox spoke into the intercom.

"Affirmative. I will transfer them from the Great Fox to your Arwings. Which are they?" ROB asked.

"Uh, the first two on the left," Fox answered.

"30873 and 26351?" ROB asked.

Fox checked for one of the numbers inside the Arwing. He found the first one ROB had mentioned below the dashboard.

"Must be," Fox replied.

"Transferring the data," ROB confirmed.

The coordinates had to be transferred since they were never constantly stable. Fox and Krystal promptly received the numbers on their Arwing screens, and they were ready to go.

"Open the hangar door, ROB; we're moving out," Fox told the robot.

"Affirmative. Good luck," ROB said.

"Thanks, ROB," Fox said while the hangar door was being opened.

Once it was finished opening, Fox and Krystal sped off in their Arwings, leaving the Great Fox behind. Fortunately, Fichina wasn't too far from their current location, and Arwings moved very quickly. The two pursued the coordinates to seek out the distress signal.

* * *

Fichina was covered in snow and ice, and due to its freezing temperature, not many people lived on the planet. Most residents at all lived in Fichina City, including Lucy Hare, Peppy's daughter, who taught astrophysics there. Star Fox had traveled to Fichina a few times in the past to resolve conflicts, so coming back wasn't a big deal.

However, Fox and Krystal immediately noticed a massive blizzard when they entered the planet. They both knew this meant the climate control center had been tampered with, since they had a similar incident occur during the Aparoid War due to an old enemy. The climate control center had been built to help regulate the weather on Fichina, and allow the planet to be habitable. Still, there was next to no civilization outside of Fichina City, and the coordinates of the distress signal were away from it. It was actually somewhat near the climate control center, which was built by itself away from city to discourage tampering with it.

"Who do you think turned the climate control off?" Krystal asked Fox.

"No clue," he answered honestly. "But remember last time it was Pigma. Let's watch our step."

"Maybe it broke?" Krystal suggested. "The distress signal might have just come in since they lost climate control?"

"But why would it be coming from right around the center…?" Fox wondered.

Just then, laser-fire penetrated the two Arwings. After the shock, Fox and Krystal turned their ships to try to find their attacker. Through the blizzard they were able to make out five ships, which now decided to hold their fire.

"Long time, no see Fox!" a familiar voice screeched.

Fox recognized the voice at once. It was Andrew Oikonny – back at it again.

"Oikonny…" Fox growled.

"Haha, yes!" Oikonny laughed. "I wanted you to know who bested you! On the orders of Dash Bowman, I have come to annihilate you! I set this trap, and I knew you would fall for it!"

"So, you're taking orders from him, huh?" Fox said, trying to provoke his foe.

"I-I, of course!" Oikonny said. "He's Andross's grandson! And he treats me as his equal!"

"I didn't think anyone was above the great Andrew Oikonny – nephew and 'heir to the great Andross,'" Fox taunted, smirking to himself.

"Enough!" Andrew yelled. He then commanded to his soldiers, "FIRE!"

Before Fox and Krystal could swerve out of the way, they were hit again, and their Arwings were beginning to sustain the damage. They returned fire rapidly, managing to shoot down a couple of the enemy ships. They then went after Krystal's Arwing, and though she tried to get away, their laser-fire was too much. Her ship began to plummet.

"Fox!" Krystal cried.

"Krystal!" Fox yelled back, distraught.

Before Bowman's ships could shoot down Fox, Fox angrily launched the one bomb in his Arwing, attempting to finish the remaining forces. The bomb went off and hit the two soldiers' ships, while Oikonny slipped away in time. In response, Oikonny hurled a bomb from his ship to Fox. Fox tried to speed away from it, but the bomb sideswiped his Arwing, destroying the wings on one side. This was enough to bring Fox's ship down.

"Hahaha! I win, Fox McCloud! I win!" Oikonny gloated.

Fox slowed his ship down to brace for the impact. Luckily, Arwings were built to be able to survive crashes from large heights, so long as the pilot took the right precautions. Also, only one side of the Arwing had been reduced. Fox did his best to avoid exploding, landing his wrecked Arwing in the snow as delicately as he could.

Despite the circumstances, Fox kept his quick thinking. He grabbed the missile launcher and opened the Arwing hatch. He wasn't ready to let Oikonny get away.

Fox hopped atop his broken Arwing and took aim for Oikonny's ship as it was flying away. He concentrated hard in the snowstorm, trying to be as precise as possible in quick time. When he was confident, he took the shot, sending the missile to his enemy. The accuracy was dead-on, hitting Oikonny's ship and causing a brilliant explosion. Fire had swallowed the ship instantly. Judging by how massive the explosion was, Fox knew Oikonny couldn't have survived.

Fox got off his Arwing, and threw the missile launcher back inside of it. It was too bulky to keep carrying around. He grabbed the blaster instead, just in case he should face an attack on-foot. He had to find where Krystal's Arwing had crashed.

At least Oikonny had been taken out. But a big problem still remained. They were stranded…


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"KRYSTAL!"

Fox cried out the name of his love, desperate to find her. The blizzard was making it especially difficult for him to locate Krystal or her ship. The only thing he could make out was the large climate control center, which was still quite far away. After a few minutes he was extremely worried – panicking, thinking she may not have made it.

 _Krystal, you have to be alive… please… you're all I have…_

Eventually, Fox did manage to find Krystal's ship, but she was not there. Luckily, the ship had only minor damages like his own, and he figured she had to still be alive. Regardless, Fox's anxiety was through the roof, needing to see Krystal immediately. He continued searching, desperate as he had ever been.

He couldn't bear the idea of her being gone. If anything had kept him going the last couple years, it was the thought that she could at least be living happily. Or that maybe they could be together again…

"Fox!"

The sound of Krystal's voice was an astonishing relief. Fox's heart raced, and he ran in the direction of her voice.

"Krystal!"

"Fox!"

Then, through the snowstorm, they saw each other. Wasting no time, the two ran to each other and embraced, holding each other in a tight, loving hug. Neither wanted to let go.

"Are you hurt, Fox?!" Krystal asked, heavily concerned.

"I'm alright; are you, Krystal?! Please tell me you're okay!" Fox asked her fretfully.

"I am," Krystal affirmed, giving him a bright smile.

Fox smiled back, incredibly grateful. They continued to hold one another, each enjoying the warmth and affection. It was a wonderful moment, and they both wanted it to last. They had never been closer.

"Krystal… I… I thought I might have lost you…" Fox admitted.

"I worried about you, too," Krystal said. "But it doesn't matter now. We're okay… we're together…"

"Yes…" Fox agreed.

They shared the moment a little while longer, both still reluctant to stop hugging. They were still in an awful situation, but they were far more optimistic upon finding each other. When they did finally release each other, they pondered their next move.

"Well, what shall we do?" Krystal asked.

"We've got to fix the climate control center," Fox said. "It'll be difficult getting there, but we've got to take care of it. Let's also try getting in touch with the rest of the team."

As they began walking to the control center, both Fox and Krystal pulled out their communicators and tried calling their teammates. No response came from Falco, Slippy, or Amanda.

"That's not good…" Fox remarked.

"Do you suppose there was a trap waiting for them as well?" Krystal asked.

"Probably," Fox replied. "Let's hope they're alright…"

"I know they are," Krystal said confidently. "I'd be able to sense if they were dead or fatally hurt."

"Didn't you say you didn't sense any real danger, about the distress signals? It must have been a trap, right?" Fox asked.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I remember something did feel off about Titania to me…" Krystal said. "I was mostly worried about Fichina at the time, though. The distress signal must have been legitimate there."

"I see…" Fox said. He then grinned, and added lightheartedly, "Well, I trust your senses!"

Krystal smiled back, and playfully replied, "Thank you, Captain!"

The two walked arm to arm, trying to keep as warm as they could. They tried to maintain a brisk pace to reach the climate control center in good time, and to get out of the blizzard as soon as they could. There was no relief, for the snow was constantly pelting them, and the bitter cold only felt worse every minute. They did their best to stay focused on reaching the tower, despite the brutal conditions. After twenty minutes or so of walking silently, Krystal started the next conversation as they kept on moving.

"So, what happened to Oikonny?" Krystal asked Fox.

"I got him," Fox answered. "Him and the others."

"So… he's finally dead?" Krystal asked.

"Yes," Fox affirmed. "He sure did cause us a lot of grief over the years. Even right now…"

"True," Krystal said. After a pause, she continued, "I feel partly responsible for our situation, though…"

"What?!" Fox asked, clearly upset Krystal had taken blame. "Why?"

"Well, I told you I didn't trust the distress signal," Krystal explained. "I even thought there'd be a trap… and now we're stranded out here…"

"It's not your fault – at all," Fox told her firmly. "We had to check the planet out no matter what. Besides, we need to fix the climate control center that they messed with. Don't feel guilty."

"I suppose we had to come," Krystal admitted. "It's a shame all this had to happen, though."

"We'll be alright," Fox reassured her. "Just have to take care of the control center and get in contact with the rest of the team…"

"Should we try again now?" Krystal asked.

"Couldn't hurt," Fox said.

Krystal nodded, and the two of them once again tried to contact their teammates with their communicators. Again, no response came. Fox and Krystal sighed, discouraged.

"I wonder what's happening with them…" Fox said nervously. "I know you said they're alright, but they should have answered by now, right?"

"I'd think so," Krystal replied. "We have to remain hopeful, though."

"Right," Fox agreed, trying to relax himself.

He felt himself growing closer and closer to Krystal again. There was a question he needed to ask her; something that had bothered him for a long time. He didn't want to pry or make her uncomfortable, but Fox needed to know something. He decided he would try.

"Krystal…?" Fox began slowly.

"Yes, Fox?" Krystal said.

Fox continued, "May I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course – anything," Krystal replied.

Fox took a breath, then asked, "When you were with Star Wolf… did you… did you ever fall in love with Panther?"

Panther Caroso was one of Star Wolf's members – a brash, flirtatious pilot who had taken an immediate liking to Krystal when he first met her. He always tried anything he could to get closer to Krystal. Once Fox learned Krystal had joined Star Wolf, one of his worst fears was that Panther had finally stolen her heart. That she would love Panther…

"No," Krystal answered sternly. "Never… you're the only one I've ever loved, Fox… I promise you that…"

The words were wonderful for Fox to hear, but he still felt awkward for asking. He said, "I'm sorry if that was too personal to ask…"

"It's fine," Krystal said. She decided to open up further, "When I was with them, he never stopped trying to have a relationship with me. It got on my nerves, really! I never returned his feelings… but he'd never take no for an answer…"

Fox nodded, easily imagining what it must have been like. Panther was always bugging her, even before she joined Star Wolf, so it must have been even worse. Fox wasn't jealous of Panther in any way, but he did despise him. He likened Panther to Falco, but without any of the good characteristics. Both often overstepped their boundaries and were overly arrogant, but at least Falco cared about his friends and carried certain morals.

Though Krystal hadn't been offended by the question, there was silence between them following her answer. Fox still worried he had gone too far, but he was glad he finally got it off his chest. He knew Krystal had joined Star Wolf because he forced her away, and so he knew if Krystal had fallen in love with Panther, it would have been his fault. He was grateful she hadn't, for he might have lost her forever if she had.

They continued to trudge through the awful storm, shaking and frostbitten. The climate control center grew nearer, but every second grew harder for Fox and Krystal to keep going. Still, they stayed strong, having each other for motivation. They focused on each other, thinking about how much closer they had grown again. They ignored their physical pain as much as they could. They thought of how they were restoring their relationship, and how happy they'd be again when this was all over…

* * *

After much more walking and holding on, they made it. Fox and Krystal were at the climate control center. They had managed to keep on going and not let the storm overcome them. Finally, they reached their target.

With big smiles, they rushed into the entrance of the building, eager to end the snowstorm. It was a simple, circular structure with just the main computer room, but it was very large on the outside. Fortunately, it had been big enough for Fox and Krystal to see from afar.

Fox remembered the last time he had been here, when Pigma had lured him and the team here. The trek was less difficult then since Fox had been closer to the building at that time, and also got to use a Landmaster for help. Fox and Krystal approached the main computer, feeling much relief and delight.

"You've done this before. You do the honors," Krystal said to Fox with a smile.

Fox smiled back, seized the controls, and took care of restoring the climate. The snow outside ceased its violent gust, and Fichina was back to normal. The blizzard was over.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

With the climate control center fixed, Fox called his teammates one last time. Much to Fox and Krystal's delight, Falco actually picked up to represent them. It appeared things were finally looking up…

"What's up, Foxie?" Falco asked.

"Hey, Falco! It's Fox! We've taken care of business on Fichina!" Fox replied cheerily.

A pause. Falco awkwardly replied, "Uhh… great? So, can you fly back to the Great Fox now?"

"That's the thing," Fox said. "Our Arwings got totaled. Can you guys swing by to get us? We're at the climate control center."

"Sure," Falco answered. "After all, we can't just leave our leader and telepath hangin', can we? And hey, what the heck happened to you two anyway?"

"Kind of a long story; I'll explain later," Fox replied.

"Alrighty; we're comin' for you," Falco said. "See ya soon."

"Bye," Fox said, proceeding to turn off his communicator.

He took a seat on the uncomfortable, metal floor. Krystal wandered over to him and took a seat beside him. All they could do now was wait.

Krystal hugged Fox tightly, wanting to be close. Fox responded, embracing his loved one as they sat together. They loved having this feeling again - to be intimate again.

"I'm tired," Krystal announced. "And hungry…"

"That makes two of us," Fox said, smiling at her. "We can remedy that soon."

"I want to sleep now," Krystal said, rubbing her head against Fox's chest. His smile widened, and he took comfort in her affection. She murmured lovingly, "I want to rest with you…"

"Sounds nice…" Fox said back. "We've got to be ready for the team to pick us up, though."

"Mmmm… I suppose," Krystal said tiredly.

"We'll eat and sleep once we're out of here," Fox said to Krystal encouragingly.

"Yes… I look forward to that," Krystal replied, smiling slightly. "Let's make it a point to stay away from Fichina for some time, too."

Fox chuckled and nodded, as sick of the planet as Krystal was. They continued cuddling together, hoping their teammates would show up quickly. They were ready to be away from Fichina and have a chance to rest up. It had been a long day…

* * *

Eventually, the Great Fox did show up outside the climate control center, and the two foxes were overjoyed to see it. For the last fifteen minutes of their time waiting, they stood by the entrance to see when the Great Fox would arrive. They rushed into the snow to board the mothership, ecstatic to leave the freezing planet. When they did get inside, however, they were greeted by grim faces from their teammates. Fox and Krystal sat down in the two vacant chairs as ROB controlled the Great Fox to take off.

"Bad news," Falco said.

"What's wrong?" Fox asked.

"Corneria needs our help; they're under attack," Falco replied sourly.

"What?!" Fox exclaimed. "I thought Peppy kept reserves there in case that should happen!"

"Yeah, but apparently it wasn't enough," Falco explained. "Peppy called us on our way here. Looks like Bowman sent a ton of his forces to hit Corneria while we were out. We've gotta get back there fast."

"That's awful…" Krystal stated sadly.

"Yeah; we can't let Bowman's guys take over our planet!" Slippy cried.

"Yes; we must act quickly," Amanda agreed.

"Alright," Fox said, collecting himself. "ROB, get us there as soon as possible. Once we're in orbit we'll take our Arwings; we have no time to lose."

"Affirmative," ROB replied. "However, we are missing two Arwings…"

"Two will have to stay behind," Fox said. "They can catch up in the Great Fox. Any volunteers?"

"I'm cool with it," Slippy, the least skilled pilot of the group, replied promptly.

"I'll stay with him," Amanda added.

"Alright, good," Fox said.

The teammates fidgeted in their seats, anxious about making it in time. They worried about how much damage Bowman's forces had done, and if their friends were safe. It wasn't the first time Corneria had been attacked directly, but this time the team was particularly worried since Peppy had already had several troops stationed there. They figured a lot of Bowman's forces must be there.

"So, what happened with you guys on Fichina?" Falco asked Fox and Krystal, trying to temporarily take his mind off Corneria.

"We fell into a trap," Krystal answered gloomily.

"Yeah," Fox said. "Oikonny and some goons ambushed us."

"So… did they get away?" Falco asked.

"No; we managed to take care of them," Fox replied. "But they destroyed our Arwings. Anyways, Oikonny won't be a problem anymore. I got him."

"Whoa," Falco said, clearly surprised. "So you finally killed him? Good. He needed to be put down."

Fox thought about how long Andrew Oikonny had been a problem for Star Fox. It was strange to know that he was finally gone. He thought all the way back to the beginning, when Oikonny had been with Star Wolf.

 _Star Wolf… what could they be up to these days…?_

Fox despised Star Wolf. They had always given him grief, but they had hurt him the most the last time he heard from them. Taking Krystal in…

 _How could they?! I know she wanted it at the time, but they just let her in! They wanted to hurt me… they wanted to take her from me… Panther tried to take her…_

Fox continued to sit uncomfortably, his thoughts shifting from the attack on Corneria to Star Wolf. He tried to think of just Krystal, but it was impossible with Star Wolf stuck on his brain now. Fox still beat himself up for forcing her out. It was a mistake he'd always hate himself for.

 _Things won't ever be the same… even if we stick together… how could she ever love me the same way again…? How could anyone…_

"How were things on Titania?" Krystal asked Falco.

"Kind of a pain," Falco answered. "We were busy for some time with the bad guys there. But we got things taken care of eventually."

"Yes; it wasn't easy, but Titania is safe now," Amanda added.

"I thought we'd never finish up! Man, it was bad," Slippy said.

"Seems it's been a rough day for everyone," Falco commented.

They all silently agreed, ragged from the day. Everyone just wanted to rest, but with Corneria in danger, it had to wait. They needed to gather all the energy they had left for the battle.

* * *

The rest of the trip dragged as expected, with few more words spoken aloud. Everyone was preoccupied with their thoughts, but none worse off than Fox. Once they reached Corneria's orbit, Fox, Falco, and Krystal rushed to the Arwing hangar. Wasting no time, they got into the ships and took off, heading for Corneria City.

When they did reach the city, they saw things didn't look good. Hundreds of Bowman's ships filled Corneria's sky, many of them casting their laser-fire upon the city's buildings. Many others were fighting directly against the Cornerian Army fighter ships, which were clearly outnumbered at this point. Despite the situation, Fox, Falco, and Krystal kept cool and entered the fray, ready for battle. They had done this many times before.

"Everyone split up! Let's get this done," Fox ordered over the intercom.

"Let's do it to it!" Falco said.

"I'm on it!" Krystal responded.

The three separated, each going for different sets of enemy ships. Fox decided to go to the Cornerian Army Center, wanting to make sure that it was still standing. Fox furiously blasted his way through several of Bowman's ships, racking up a large number of hits as he went along. He swerved when necessary and made all the right moves, proving himself once more to be a one-man army against his enemies. The ships tried firing back, but few even managed to clip Fox's Arwing. Fox kept firing rapidly, taking down more and more ships to clear his path.

Soon Fox made it to the Cornerian Army Center building, which had unfortunately taken some damage. Luckily, it was still salvageable, but Fox knew if he had acted any later, it may not have been. He just hoped Peppy was all right…

Fox continued to fly well, shooting down the enemy ships hovering around the Cornerian Army Center. One of them managed to damage the right wing of Fox's Arwing, but it wasn't enough to deter Fox from taking them down. He noticed some Cornerian Army fighters, but there weren't a whole lot to protect the base. Fox sighed to himself, depressed at the sight of his planet. Many of the buildings had been destroyed, some still burning and others already burnt to the ground. It hurt him to see Corneria this way.

 _Peppy should have kept more soldiers…_

Fox decided to check in on his teammates. "Krystal! Falco! How're you doing?"

"I'm okay," Krystal answered. "The city's taken some serious damage, though."

"It's horrible where I am," Falco said. "Bad guys haven't given me too much trouble, at least."

"That's good," Fox replied, trying to be optimistic. "Stay strong, guys. I've taken care of the area around the Army Center. Let's meet there once we're finished."

"Will do," Krystal replied.

"Gotcha!" Falco said.

Fox moved past the Army Center area and looked for more of Bowman's ships to dispose of. As he flew, Fox suddenly felt laser-fire hit his ship from behind. Immediately, Fox looped his Arwing, and put himself behind his attacker. Before the attacker could react, Fox shot the ship down, sending it to the ground for a fiery explosion. As Fox moved on, he heard a message come from the Great Fox.

"It's Slippy! We're coming to help now!" Slippy informed the three Star Fox members.

"Great; about time you made it," Falco remarked.

"Excellent!" Krystal said.

"Good; I've cleared up a lot of space here," Fox told all his teammates. "I think we're getting close."

"Yeah; things are getting quiet on my end," Falco mentioned.

Fox managed to find a few stragglers as he flew, who were also no match for him. He took down every enemy ship in sight. Being a seasoned pilot, Fox had flown the skies with much confidence for a long time now. Despite the massive amount of enemy forces on the planet, Fox had not been intimidated.

Fox continued flying and looked around for more ships. It seemed he had taken care of a very large radius, with no ships nearby other than a few Cornerian Army fighters. He moved further away from the Army Center to see if he could find any more of Bowman's ships. As he went along, Fox looked into the sky to find the Great Fox in the distance, coming to the city. It wasn't nearly as fast as the Arwings, but it had quite a powerful twin-cannon. Fox noticed the cannon was charged; he looked directly across, to find a large group of enemy ships. They were still far away, but Fox knew that wouldn't matter. A couple seconds later, they were destroyed, once the intense laser-fire from the cannon had struck them. Fox couldn't help but grin at the power; he had always loved the Great Fox.

Not long after, the Great Fox found another group to target, and the same success was accomplished. Fox saw that Bowman's remaining ships were beginning to flee the city, having given up. The area had been cleared up in such quick time! Fox smiled again, pleased to have victory.

"Looks like we've won, guys," Fox announced.

"WOOHOO! YEAH!" Slippy rejoiced.

"Well done, everyone!" Amanda said.

"You see them running away?! Haha – losers! We rule!" Falco cried gleefully.

"We did it!" Krystal said.

"Great job, everyone," Fox complimented his teammates, still grinning. The city had taken some bad damage, but the team did such an exceptional job in the battle. They made great time and saved the planet from any more harm. Fox was thankful to have them. "Let's meet up back at the Army Center."

The three Arwings and the Great Fox made their way for the Cornerian Army Center, ready to regroup and rest.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Arriving first, Fox parked his Arwing near the Cornerian Army Center building. It was fortunate the building didn't have worse damage than the few hits it took from Bowman's forces. Fox got out of his Arwing, and began to run toward the building's entrance. Not long after, the others parked their vehicles and joined up with Fox at the Army Center. From the Great Fox, Slippy rushed past the others to catch up with Fox first, panting and looking horribly worried.

"Fox! You think Peppy's okay?!" Slippy asked his friend.

"I'm just as clueless as you are," Fox replied, beginning to push the front door open.

"Oooooohhh, he has to be alright!" Slippy said, trying to reassure himself.

The others caught up to Fox and Slippy, also looking very concerned. Even Falco, who was normally cool in almost any situation, was anxious about Peppy. He was jumpy and panicking perhaps as badly as Slippy.

"He's gotta be alright, right?! I mean, the damage to the building doesn't look too terrible, right?" Falco asked everyone, trying to gain some comfort.

"I sure hope so…" Amanda replied meekly.

"I do believe he's alive," Krystal said.

The others looked at her, hope and confusion in their eyes. Krystal was the calmest of them all, and this was because she relied on her telepathy for insight. Currently, she didn't sense any mortal danger to Peppy.

"I don't sense any serious danger has come his way," she told her teammates. "If he was dead or severely injured, I would have been able to sense it. He should be all right."

Fox nodded, trusting her word. Krystal's telepathy had proven useful in the past several times, and she hadn't been wrong before. He was sincerely relieved she had said Peppy was fine.

"Alright," Fox said. "Let's see if we can find him in here. He should be safe somewhere. I guess we'll try his office first. Follow me."

The five mercenaries went inside the building and made their way for Peppy's office. The main lobby was empty, and it totally quiet in the building. Since Fox remembered where Peppy's office was from his last visit, he led the others. Unfortunately, when they got there, they found the room empty. The whole place seemed to be deserted.

"Where do we look next?" Slippy asked Fox.

"Hmmm… where did General Pepper go during times of crisis?" Fox wondered aloud. "Wasn't there a bunker of some sort?"

"Yeah, sure!" Falco replied. "Remember? There's supposed to be a bunker room underground somewhere, in case something like this happens! I remember hearing about it! Come on – let's look around!"

The team scrambled to find the entrance to the basement bunker. They tried several hallways on the first floor until they eventually found a staircase room at the end of one hallway. They went down the stairs to find a thick, steel door leading to the bunker room. It was locked. Falco knocked hard on the door to elicit a response.

"Who's there?!" a booming voice demanded on the other side.

"We're Star Fox! The battle's over out there!" Falco yelled back.

"Falco? Is that you?!" the voice asked back.

"Yeah! We know each other or somethin'?" Falco asked in return.

The door opened, revealing a tall, muscular Cornerian solider. He was a bulldog, and it was evident he and Falco knew each other. The soldier made a wide grin when he saw Falco.

"It is old Falco!" the bulldog exclaimed. "Falco Lombardi! How are you, buddy?"

"Lance!" Falco cried, happy to see an old friend. "Lance Mitchell! It's been forever, man! Ever since that combat class all those years ago I've barely seen ya!"

"I know, man! It's too bad schedules seem to keep us apart! I'm part of the general's top security now!" Lance told Falco.

"So, he's here, right?" Falco asked Lance, in regards to Peppy.

"Oh yeah; he's here," Lance said, opening the door further.

The team saw Peppy and a few other Cornerian soldiers gathered around him. The old general looked up and smiled when he saw the Star Fox team. They excitedly ran over to greet their friend and general.

"PEPPY!" Slippy cried happily.

"Good to see you all!" Peppy greeted all of them "So, the battle is over then?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sheesh; you had us worried, old man!" Falco said.

"Good to see you, General!" Amada said.

"Glad you pulled through, Peppy!" Fox said.

"Yes, yes," Peppy replied. "I would have helped you in the fight, but I'm just growing too old for it. Getting hard for me just to walk around these days! Makes me miss older times…"

"Don't sweat it, Peppy!" Slippy said. "We took care of everything! Corneria's safe now!"

"Yeah; we straightened those goons out," Falco proudly remarked.

"I thank you all for your help," Peppy said. "I was foolish for not keeping enough soldiers here in case Bowman should send a large attack. I've paid the price dearly… I owe everyone an apology for that…"

"Come on, Peppy," Fox protested. "Every general makes mistakes."

"Yeah; no one's perfect!" Slippy added.

"The important thing is that you're okay, gramps," Falco said. "Krystal here told us you were!"

"Is that so?" Peppy asked.

An awkward silence ensued as everyone turned to look at Krystal. Krystal, who had been quiet up to now, spoke up to confirm it.

"Yes… I could sense you were alright," Krystal said. "My telepathy…"

"Oh, yes! I had forgotten!" Peppy said. "Me and my old age! You're a telepath! You have always been truly invaluable to the team, Krystal!"

"Thank you, Peppy," Krystal said quietly, smiling slightly.

"I think you had all better get some rest tonight," Peppy said. "Relax and reenergize, before heading back out. It'd be good for you to enjoy yourselves for a while. Oh, and that is an order!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Falco rejoiced.

"Sounds like a plan!" Slippy said.

"I could use the rest," Amanda said.

"I think it's a good idea," Fox said to Peppy. "We'll be stronger for next time that way. It has been an exhausting day for us."

"Yes, good plan," Krystal said, agreeing with the others.

"Very well then," Peppy said. "Thank you once again for your help. Know that I am greatly indebted to you, as is all of Corneria!"

"It's our job, Peppy," Fox replied, smiling at his old friend. "No problem. You take care."

"Thank you," Peppy said, smiling back.

The team members said their goodbyes to Peppy (and Falco to Lance) and left the bunker, relieved and happy for a break. The general was safe, and they could get some rest before traveling again. No one objected to that idea.

On their way out, the team noticed several Cornerian soldiers were returning. One in particular caught Falco's eye; as he froze and stared, the others stopped with him to look at who he saw. It was Katt Monroe, Falco's old flame, in an army uniform. She stopped as well when she saw him.

"Katt?!" Falco asked, incredulous. "What are you doing here?!"

"Returning from the battle, of course," Katt replied coldly. "The better question is, what are _you_ doing here?"

"Making sure Peppy was okay!" Falco replied, with anger in his voice. "Why the heck didn't you tell me you joined the army?!"

"Didn't see any need to," Katt said back casually. "After all, you haven't returned my calls in over a month. Why should you care?"

"I didn't return those calls because you said you didn't want to talk to me!" Falco snapped back. "Remember, our last fight?!"

"I didn't want to talk to you at the _time_ ," Katt retorted. "It's not like I told you to go away forever!"

"You knew what you meant," Falco replied, not convinced. "Look, can't we catch up and talk about this? I can't believe you just started fighting in the war!"

"Whatever," Katt said indifferently. "I gotta report to the general first. We can talk after."

"Fine… guys, I gotta hang back," Falco said to the team.

They all nodded understandingly. It was an awkward scene, but no one minded too much. They were all surprised as well though to know Katt was in the army now. Katt briefly acknowledged the team before moving on.

"Nice to see you all again," she said.

Leaving no time for any responses, Katt left hastily. It had been a while since any of them had seen her. Falco sighed, wishing his friends hadn't been there for the ugly reunion.

"Sorry guys," Falco said. "You go have fun without me. I've got to have a serious talk with Katt."

"We understand; you go ahead," Fox said. "Hope it goes well."

"Yeah; good luck, pal!" Slippy said. "You don't mind if we eat, do you? I'm starved…"

"No problem; I'm sure it'll be a while. I'll see you guys later," Falco said.

The rest nodded again and left Falco behind. They left the Cornerian Army Center and returned outside; it was getting dark. They were happy to see emergency vehicles were already aiding the buildings that needed attention. Still, they were all tired and hungry from the day's work.

"So, shall we find a place to eat now?" Amanda said, having taken notice Slippy was hungry.

"For sure! Hopefully we can find a place with some service," Slippy replied.

"What does everyone like?" Fox asked his teammates.

"Pizza!" Slippy responded immediately. "That would hit the spot right now! What do you guys think?"

"Sounds good, pumpkin," Amanda said, smiling at her husband.

"Delicious," Krystal said, also smiling.

"Alright then," Fox said. "Let's see if we can find something open."

The group of four went to the closest plaza they knew of with a pizza restaurant. Fortunately, when they got there, they saw it was left untouched by the enemy forces from earlier. It was pleasing for the team to see areas that weren't affected by the attack. They wanted to be away from that right now. Right now, they just wanted to fill their stomachs with tasty food.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A little over an hour later, the four mercenaries left Mario's Pizzeria full and satisfied. They felt bad Falco couldn't join them, but they still had a good time relaxing and talking with each other. They were enjoying themselves as much as they could before returning for more action the next day.

The four Star Fox members took a brief walk together, chatting some more and enjoying the night air. Everyone was happy to escape for a while before getting back to business. They walked and talked merrily for a while, until Krystal's mood suddenly seemed to become anxious. This happened as they talked about the closeness of the team, and about all the times Star Fox had saved the day. Krystal spoke directly to Fox as the group began to notice the odd change in her disposition.

"Fox, could we talk alone?" Krystal asked Fox.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Fox said, worried about her tone. He turned to Slippy and Amanda. "You guys don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all! Amanda and I will stick together!" Slippy responded happily, rubbing against Amanda affectionately.

Amanda smiled and returned the gesture. "Yes, we'll be fine. You two go ahead."

"Thanks," Fox said. "I guess we can meet up tomorrow morning to head back out again."

"Okay; I'll be sure to ring Falco on that!" Slippy said. "What time?"

"How about ten?" Fox suggested. "I don't think we should get up too early…"

"Ten it is then!" Amanda said. "Where at, Fox?"

"The Army Center," Fox replied. "Krystal and I need some new Arwings for tomorrow, so we'll have to borrow some from there. Besides, that's where we left the Great Fox."

"Sounds like a plan!" Slippy said. "Catch you guys tomorrow!"

"Goodnight," Krystal said to her teammates.

"Bye guys," Fox said.

"See you tomorrow!" Amanda said last.

With goodbyes said, the pairs split apart for the night. Fox was anxious, wondering why Krystal wanted to speak to him alone out of the blue. He at least hoped she was all right, and nothing seriously bad was happening.

 _She just said she wanted to talk alone. Could just be some small concern, right? Oh, I hope… I hope I didn't say anything… hope she didn't get hurt in battle… I need her to be all right…_

"Can we go somewhere private?" Krystal asked Fox as he thought to himself.

"Oh, uh, yeah, of course," Fox replied nervously. "What did you have in mind?"

"We can go to my house," Krystal replied. "Or yours. It doesn't matter."

"Yeah, yeah! That's good," Fox said.

"So…?" Krystal asked, having expected Fox to pick one.

"Oh right, m-my, my place is fine," Fox stammered.

"No need to be so nervous," Krystal said, smiling tenderly at him.

"R-right, I'm sorry…" Fox said. "I'm just worried something's wrong! You seem really concerned, you know…?"

"Well, I just need to talk with you," Krystal said smoothly. "Just a talk. Shall we go to your house?"

"Right… I'm sorry," Fox apologized again. "I always get worried when you seem concerned."

"Don't worry," Krystal said. "Let's go…"

Fox nodded, and the two made their way for his house. It felt a little weird for both of them, since Krystal hadn't been to Fox's house in a very long time. Fox figured at this point though it was probably a good thing, and he was glad to have her come back to his house. He wanted nothing more than for their relationship to fully grow back to where it had been. He wanted any past issues to have no power over them.

Even though it was nighttime, it was easy for the couple to reach Fox's house, since Corneria's streets were always brightly lit. The city was particularly beautiful at night, with numerous, vivid colors lighting up the atmosphere. It was truly a remarkable sight, especially for any tourists. Fox figured many citizens in the heart of the city must be celebrating the day's victory over Bowman's forces. It was incredibly fortunate there had been a low number of casualties and that not many buildings had been destroyed. Fox was glad he and the team had arrived when they did.

* * *

Once they reached Fox's house, he opened the door for Krystal to step inside first. Fox followed suit, and he watched Krystal's expression as she took in the old surroundings of his house. She looked happy to be here once again, quietly standing with Fox in his home. She had kept warm memories of sharing time with Fox here, and many came back to her as she looked around the modest living room. Fox smiled a bit, noticing Krystal was nostalgic like him. It was wonderful to have Krystal here again – in a shared, cozy environment. That was what it was to the two foxes.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" Fox asked.

"Well… about us…" Krystal slowly replied, looking at the floor. "It's been on my mind for a little while now…"

"Us?" Fox asked.

"Yes… about the future," Krystal specified. "Our future…"

"What do you mean, exactly?" Fox asked, trying to get to the point. "Where are you going with this?"

Krystal looked up and into Fox's eyes, giving him a serious and impassioned look. He returned the seriousness, with a slightly confused look. He gave her his full attention.

"Fox, I'm very serious about our relationship," Krystal explained. "I know we just recently got back together, but despite our past problems, we've picked up from where we left off! That means something! There's something special between us; there always has been, and I don't want that to end! I was worried it was over when we broke it off… but the love never left…"

"Krystal…" Fox said, drawing closer to her. "You are _very_ special to me… there's nothing in my life that I care about more than you… and I'll always love you."

Krystal smiled widely, and she joyfully embraced Fox with a fierce hug. He nearly fell off balance, and he chuckled a bit. He was also smiling now, hugging Krystal back.

"When you say things like that, you really make me happy," Krystal said. "I mean it… knowing you love me that way."

Fox and Krystal savored the hug, enjoying each other's warmth. Nothing could make Fox happier than knowing Krystal loved him. She was the light in his life – his sunshine. He wanted her to be happy, and he didn't want their relationship to end. He wanted to be with her forever…

They eventually released, and Krystal continued speaking. "I don't want to add stress in the middle of this war, but we have to consider the future… we're not getting any younger."

Fox thought to himself for a moment. A crazy idea came to his mind. A crazy idea that he was in love with…

 _What if I propose… right here and now? What will she think? Is that what she wants? This has to be what she's getting at…_

"Krystal!" Fox began, deciding to go ahead with the idea.

"Yes, Fox?" Krystal asked.

The two stared directly into each other's eyes, completely serious. Fox knew he would never be more ready to ask, and this was what he wanted. There was no going back, and he knew it. Nothing would be the same when he asked it. He took a moment to prepare, and when he spoke, he spoke with as much confidence as he ever had.

"Krystal… will you marry me?" Fox asked.

Krystal's eyes immediately lit up, and it was clear she was surprised. The room was totally silent, and Fox waited for the response. His confidence carried through, and he knew what she'd say. It wasn't too soon. It was what both of them wanted.

 _Be my wife, Krystal… be my partner… be my love…_

"YES! YES! Yes, I will!" Krystal replied emphatically, tears sliding down her cheeks.

With that, Fox got himself another violent hug. This one did knock him off his balance, and he found himself on the floor with Krystal. The two were overcome with emotion, laughing heartily, hugging, and rolling on the floor together. They felt like children, and they let their emotions have full control of the moment. In that moment, everything else in the world was forgotten; all they knew and cared about was that they would get married. They _would_ be together.

"I'm glad you took it so well!" Fox said, laughing between words.

They stopped rolling, and Krystal saddled herself on top of him. They looked into each other's eyes again, each pair gleaming with delight. It was a surreal moment; one that both of them had waited a long time for.

"Fox… I love you," Krystal said softly, finally settled down from the excitement. "How could I say no?"

"Well, you've made it the best day of my life," Fox said, giving her a sly smile. "That is, until the wedding day…"

"Of course," Krystal said, also grinning. "I wish it were right now…"

Both of them suddenly got more serious again, thinking about their circumstances. They knew they couldn't get married right away. Fox spoke up for the concerns on their minds.

"Once the war is over… we'll get married," Fox said, wrapping his arms around Krystal. "I promise."

"As soon as it's over, right?" Krystal asked, cracking a small smile.

"As soon as it's over," Fox assured her. He knew he also had to address something else. "Krystal, all I've wanted for some time now is a quiet, happy life with you. No Star Fox, no war, no more close calls. I'm ready to be done with all that, so long as I could be with you. What do you think?"

Krystal nodded slowly, and replied, "I agree. I'd rather have a quiet life as well, at last. I mean, we've had our fair share of adventures, haven't we? I'd like to rest now…"

Fox smiled. "I'm glad you agree. I don't know how the rest of the team will take it, but this is our lives. We just need to finish our business with Bowman, and then we'll be free."

"Yes…" Krystal said, beginning to lie down entirely on top of Fox. They wrapped their bodies together, wanting to stay as close as possible. Fox closed his eyes, enjoying every second with Krystal.

 _This is what I want… this is the life I want now… Once this war is over…_

"Well, I suppose we should get some rest before tomorrow, huh?" Fox asked Krystal. "Have to be up no later than nine."

"Yes, I suppose," Krystal replied. "But I think I'll be too excited to sleep at this point!"

"I know what you mean," Fox agreed, happy with himself for his decision to propose. "But we've got to try. Lots to be done tomorrow. Got to get to Venom soon."

"Well, then, we better get to bed," Krystal said. She then gave Fox a sly smile, and asked, "Is it alright if we… sleep, together?"

Fox's ears perked up, and he returned the smile. "Well… sure! But I thought we'd save… you know, for the big day?"

"A man of tradition," Krystal remarked, still smiling. "I think that's a good idea. But I wanted to sleep beside you still… is that alright?"

"Of course! Sure!" Fox replied, happy that she took it well.

The idea of just sleeping next to Krystal was wonderful to Fox. Just to have her warmth and comfort through the night. To be with her in a peaceful, cozy sleep.

The two walked upstairs together to Fox's bedroom, keeping their bodies together the whole time. When they reached the bed (which was rather small), they got under the covers together and curled up against one another. They were both happy, and they kept their minds focused on one another instead of thinking of any problems they might have the next day.

"Goodnight, Fox," Krystal whispered gently once they were in position to sleep. "Sleep well…"

"You too, Krystal. I'll see you in the morning," Fox replied.

"I love you," Krystal said, once more, as she closed her eyes and smiled.

Fox smiled, and he said back, "I love you too."

Fox closed his eyes and prepared to sleep. He did love Krystal, and now he knew she would be his wife. He knew he wouldn't have any nightmares tonight.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Fox woke up promptly at 8:30, feeling refreshed after a perfect night's sleep. After a yawn, Fox looked at Krystal beside him and smiled; she was still asleep, and had her arm wrapped his body. He didn't want to wake up Krystal just yet, but once he shifted just a little from his position, she awoke anyway. She smiled warmly at Fox when she looked at him.

 _She's always so beautiful…_ Fox blissfully thought.

"Good morning, Fox," Krystal said softly.

"Good morning," Fox replied, returning her smile.

"How did you sleep?" Krystal delicately asked Fox.

"Better than ever," Fox answered happily. "You?"

"Same," Krystal said, nudging against Fox affectionately.

"Good," Fox said.

Fox hugged Krystal as they lied down together, reluctant to get up. It was quite easily the best night of sleep he had ever gotten, having had the comfort of Krystal beside him. It was how he wanted to sleep every night, and he was overjoyed that it would be a reality once the war was over. More motivation to power through the rest of it.

Krystal gave Fox a soft kiss on the lips. He smiled and kissed her back automatically. Fox already felt as if they were a married couple, and he was absolutely sure they were right for each other.

"I don't want to get up," Krystal said, speaking both of their minds.

"That makes two of us," Fox said, keeping his body close to hers. "But, we have to…"

"I know," Krystal said, sighing. "Just think though… maybe someday soon, we won't have to be in a hurry to get out of bed."

"I'm counting on that!" Fox replied, grinning at the happy thought. "Either way, I'm all for dedicating a lot of time to this…"

"Me too," Krystal murmured, continuing to cuddle with her lover. She knew it couldn't last, though. "I suppose we better get ready."

"Yeah," Fox groaned, equally disappointed.

They weren't reluctant to get to work – just reluctant to stop resting together. Still, they got up from the bed, stretching and allowing themselves to fully wake up. Fox didn't normally eat breakfast, but he realized it was quite possible Krystal did.

"Umm… do you want to eat something?" Fox asked awkwardly. "I don't have any breakfast foods, but there might be something for you to eat in my kitchen…"

"It's alright; I'm not hungry," Krystal replied. "Let's just go to the Army Center."

Fox nodded, and the two made their way out of the bedroom and then downstairs. Once they were outside, Fox locked the front door behind them, and the two made their way for the Army Center. They'd be a little bit early, but both Fox and Krystal liked to be early for somewhere they had to be at.

* * *

Sure enough, when the two arrived at the Army Center, they were the first ones to arrive. They waited in the main lobby for the rest of the team. It didn't take too long for Slippy and Amanda to join them, but once ten o'clock came and went, Falco hadn't arrived.

"You did call Falco last night, right, Slippy?" Fox asked Slippy.

"Of course! And he said he'd be here!" Slippy answered defensively.

"Hmm. Well, let's hope he gets here soon," Fox said.

Suddenly, the four Star Fox members saw Peppy come marching into the lobby room. He looked concerned and stressed about something. His eyes lit up as he saw the Star Fox team gathered, and he rushed over to speak to them.

"I'm glad I caught you all before you left!" Peppy said to the team. "There's something I need you guys to take care of before getting to Venom!"

"What is it, Peppy?" Fox asked the general.

"It's Commissioner Beltino," Peppy started to explain.

Beltino Toad was Slippy's father, and the two shared a close bond. For several years Beltino helped serve the Cornerian Army, and he was most recently appointed as the commissioner in charge of the Orbital Gate. The Orbital Gate was used as a research center and a transport to reach any other area in the galaxy. Slippy hadn't heard from Beltino in a long while.

"Dad!" Slippy exclaimed, panicking immediately. "What's wrong?! He isn't in danger, is he?!"

"Well, sort of, unfortunately," Peppy replied. "You see, Bowman's forces have targeted the Orbital Gate – I suppose to gain control over the transportation, so that they can spread out more quickly and more easily. Anyways, there aren't as many Cornerian soldiers fighting there as we'd like, so I need you all to help take out the threat. It's also on the way to Venom, so it's not as much of an inconvenience. Heck, you could probably just use the transport to get there faster once you're finished…"

"We gotta help Dad out!" Slippy stated, still worried. "We can't just sit here and wait around for Falco all day!"

Just then, the blue avian arrived, bursting through the front door to meet up with the team. As he saw the five gathered, he figured Peppy must have said something important.

"So, what did I miss?" Falco asked everyone.

"We've got to get to the Orbital Gate now; Bowman's forces are trying to take over it," Fox said. He then turned to Peppy. "Peppy, we need to borrow a couple Arwings. Two of the ones in the Great Fox were destroyed."

"That's fine; you can pick those up in the hangar," Peppy said. "And of course, the Great Fox is right where you left it outside. Good luck to all of you! Always remember – trust your instincts!"

"Right, right, we'll be fine," Falco said dismissively. "Let's get to work!"

"Ok; Krystal and I will get the Arwings. We'll meet you guys in the Great Fox once we're in space," Fox said. "Let's go!"

From there, Falco, Slippy, and Amanda went to the Great Fox, and Fox and Krystal to the hangar. As planned, once they got two new Arwings, they flew out of the hangar and met up with the Great Fox in space. Once they used the Great Fox's hangar to park the Arwings, Fox and Krystal met up with their teammates and began the trip to the Orbital Gate.

"ROB, set a course for the Orbital Gate; get us there as fast as you can," Fox said to ROB as soon as he got to the ship bridge.

"Affirmative, Fox," ROB said, proceeding to adjust the ship's controls accordingly.

Fox turned to his teammates. "Once we get there, we'll use our Arwings to take out Bowman's ships. ROB, you see if you can help and shoot down enemies with the Great Fox."

"Oooh, I hope Dad'll be alright…" Slippy said nervously.

"I'm sure they'll hold out," Amanda said to comfort her husband. She gave Slippy a reassuring smile.

Slippy managed to make a small smile. "Yeah… let's hope."

"We'll get there as soon as we can," Krystal said, also trying to be supportive. "We'll make it – I'm sure!"

"Of course; don't worry, little buddy!" Falco said. "Does Star Fox ever fail?"

"It'll be alright, Slippy," Fox said. He turned to ROB, and commanded, "ROB, make sure we don't slow down any. We need to be there as soon as possible."

"Affirmative," ROB answered, keeping watch over the ship's controls.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in my cabin," Fox said. "I've got a headache, and I need to lie down for a bit."

"Feel better!" Slippy and Amanda both said.

"Yeah; take it easy, Foxie!" Falco ordered.

"Rest well, Fox," Krystal said, concerned.

"Thanks guys; see you soon," Fox said.

With that, Fox went to his cabin and used the bed in there to lie down. The headache had started once he started flying the Arwing from earlier; every now and then, flying would give him headaches. He closed his eyes, but he knew he shouldn't fall asleep; the journey wouldn't be that long. He mulled over things as he rested.

 _I sure hope those guys will be okay at the Orbital Gate… we can't afford to lose that to Bowman. Eh, Falco's probably right; when does Star Fox fail? We're made for this. I just hope they can make it until we get there… I won't have to worry about this kind of stuff much longer… Soon I can just be with Krystal… Everything will be perfect…_

A knock came at the cabin door. This gave Fox a jump, as he wasn't expecting it so soon. Had they already arrived? It had only been a few minutes! He knew that couldn't be the case.

"Come in," Fox said casually.

The door opened to reveal it was Krystal who had knocked. Fox smiled as she came in; he was glad to see her again. He wondered though what prompted her to come.

"Hey," Krystal said.

"Hi," Fox said back. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Krystal said. "I wanted to be with you… if you don't mind."

"Of course not!" Fox said. "That's how it's going to be every day soon enough!"

Krystal smiled, and she climbed into the bed next to Fox. Once again, they were cozy in a small bed together. Krystal nestled against Fox, enjoying the warm feeling like the one they shared in the morning.

"I wanted to feel this again," Krystal admitted. "Being close and comfy…"

"Me too," Fox said. He wrapped his arms around her, and lovingly said, "I'm glad you came."

"Thank you," Krystal said, beaming. "I hope your head feels better soon…"

"It already does, now that you're here," Fox replied, completely sincere. "You help relieve any of my pain. Really – it's like magic!"

Krystal chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I could help! I hope I'll still have the same effect when we've been married for several years…"

"I know you will," Fox said, giving Krystal a kind smile. "You're the most special vixen in this galaxy… I'm lucky to have you."

"No, Fox, I'm lucky to have you," Krystal said, rubbing against him. "Such a handsome, caring man… any vixen would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks," Fox said bashfully. "I just want to be good enough for you. I hope I can be a good husband."

"Of course you will be," Krystal assured him. "I know you will be. And a good father, too…"

Fox's eyes lit up, and his ears perked up.

 _Children… didn't even think about that!_

"Oh, err, right…" Fox stammered. "A good father… we didn't talk about that stuff yet."

"I know," Krystal said. "But, shouldn't we? I want to be a mother… did you want to be a father, Fox?"

"Me?" Fox said. "I, uh, really never gave it a lot of thought honestly. I mean… I really think we should sleep on this before we make any definite plans. I'm really just not sure, you know? I think I'd like to have a kid or two, but I just never thought about it much…"

"I understand," Krystal said, a little disappointed. "We can talk about that later then…"

"Sorry," Fox apologized, feeling bad he couldn't give a definite answer.

"It's ok," Krystal said. "Just something to think about…"

"Right," Fox said. He wanted to change the topic, wanting to make Krystal feel better. "So, when should we announce the engagement to the team?"

"I don't know…" Krystal replied, thinking for a moment. "Hmm… now might not be the best time… maybe when the war is over?"

"Good thinking," Fox agreed to it. "It might be too distracting for them right now."

"It's a distraction for me," Krystal said, looking sad. "We still have a war to win… but I'm mostly just thinking about us…"

"I know what you mean," Fox admitted. "We just have to make it through – just a little while longer, hopefully."

"Yes… then we'll have our time," Krystal said, stroking Fox's hair affectionately.

The two lied together in silence, peacefully resting together. Fox's headache was going away, and he was grateful, because it would have made things worse during combat. He knew it was because of Krystal. He was grateful for her, and he truly loved her more than anything else. They shared a happy silence together in the cabin, waiting until the trip was over.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Fox and Krystal were jolted awake by a knock at the cabin door. They had both fallen asleep unintentionally, having been so comfortable with one another. They each groaned as they got up from the bed.

"Who is it?" Fox asked.

"It's Slippy! We're at the Orbital Gate now!" Slippy replied on the other side of the door.

"Alright, I'll be right there," Fox said back.

After the response from Fox, Slippy scrambled back to the bridge; Fox could hear him running away down the hall. Fox turned to Krystal, who looked upset about being woken up. He felt the same way, having enjoyed his short time with her.

"Guess we gotta go to the bridge," Fox said. "Ready?"

"I suppose," Krystal replied half-heartedly. "Hopefully I'll be awake enough."

"Same," Fox said, rubbing his eyes.

The two walked out of the cabin together, sticking close to one another as they walked to the bridge. They made themselves be as awake as possible, knowing they'd need to be alert for battle. When they reached the bridge, where Falco, Slippy, and Amanda waited for them, Falco addressed them about the situation.

"Not as bad as we were expecting," Falco said to Fox and Krystal. "Should be able to take care of these guys pretty quickly."

"Good; we want to get to Venom as soon as possible," Fox said. "Can we try to contact Beltino?"

"Sure; ROB, set that up!" Falco commanded.

"Affirmative; contacting Commissioner Beltino," ROB responded.

ROB was able to send a transmission to the nearby commissioner. When Beltino responded to the call, his hologram appeared in the Great Fox, and he looked quite nervous. Fox spoke to the worried commissioner.

"Commissioner Beltino! This is Star Fox!" Fox said to Beltino.

"Star Fox! Peppy told me you were coming! I'm glad you could make it; we could use your help!" Beltino said excitedly.

"We'll help you clear out these goons in no time!" Falco bragged.

"We got it, Dad! Hang in there!" Slippy added.

"Good, good!" Beltino said. "The Army pilots have managed to hold them off so far, but there aren't a whole lot of them, so it's fortunate you all could make it."

"Don't worry about it; we'll take care of it, Commissioner!" Fox said.

"Good luck, team!" Beltino said.

With that, Fox cut off the transmission. Fox was glad to hear that the Army pilots had held up this long, but he knew his team couldn't afford to wait around. He faced his teammates to speak.

"Alright, guys; let's get in our Arwings and get out there! ROB, take care of the Great Fox!" Fox ordered.

The teammates ran to the Great Fox's hangar, wasting no time. They all wanted to get the job done quickly so that they could move on, tired of the distractions blocking their path to Venom. When the team reached the hangar, they hopped into their Arwings, had ROB open the hangar hatch, and entered the battle around the Orbital Gate (which was a rather simple, bulky structure).

The team got right to work, shooting down as many of Bowman's ships as they could. It never mattered how outnumbered they were; the Star Fox team members were always too skilled for their adversaries. Fortunately, the Cornerian Army pilots that were there had held up well enough; they just needed an extra push to win the battle. With Star Fox there now, it wasn't too difficult. There weren't even a whole lot of Bowman's ships left.

Fox, Falco, Slippy, Amanda, and Krystal all took down several enemy ships, and avoided taking any damage themselves. It wasn't long before the number of Bowman's ships was cut down drastically, and the few remaining fled. It seemed that a quick victory had been accomplished. The Star Fox team and the Cornerian Army pilots celebrated the success.

"Well done, everybody!" Beltino complimented the fighters. "Thanks to you, the Gate is safe again!"

"No problem, Dad! It was easy!" Slippy said.

"It was indeed!" Amanda replied.

"Pfft, too easy!" Falco remarked.

"It was a cinch!" Krystal agreed.

"Great! Now we can get to Venom!" Fox remarked triumphantly.

"Can't let you do that, Star Fox," a familiar voice growled over the intercom.

All the Star Fox members recognized it at once. It was Wolf O'Donnell, leader of the Star Wolf squadron. He showed up in his signature Wolfen ship, the counterpart to Star Fox's Arwings. Leon and Panther flew alongside him. A new horde of Bowman's ships arrived with them, which began to battle with the Cornerian Army ships.

 _Not them again…_ Fox thought to himself angrily. He held a strong contempt for Wolf and Panther in particular - Wolf because he had been Fox's rival in battle for many years, and Panther for trying to make Krystal his lover. _Not them…_

"Wolf!" Fox exclaimed. "I should have known your gang was working for Bowman!"

"Hey, the monkey pays nice, just like his granddaddy!" Leon chimed in.

"Yes… not to mention, I believe we have some unfinished business," Panther hissed menacingly. "You stole one of our beloved pilots… my Krystal..."

Krystal was quick to correct Panther. "They didn't _steal_ me, I went back myself! And it's where I belong! And I am NOT yours! So shut up!"

"Krystal… it hurts to hear you say such things," Panther said sullenly. "Please, come back to Panther…"

"No! Never again!" Krystal retorted firmly.

"Enough small talk," Wolf cut in. "Bowman wants your team out of the way, Fox, and I'm going to make him happy. Leon! Panther! Attack!"

The three Wolfens commenced firing. The Star Fox team was quick, each member flying out of the way immediately. Once the Arwings repositioned, they returned fire, and the dogfight was on.

Star Fox had the immediate advantage, since they outnumbered Star Wolf five to three. This didn't discourage any of the Star Wolf members, however, who were just as determined as Star Fox to win. Slippy and Amanda flew closely together and were fighting against Panther, who was proving himself able to take them both at once. Leon was fighting against Falco and Krystal, and Fox was squaring off against Wolf.

Fox, who had fought Wolf several times before this, noticed his rival was particularly energetic today. Fox found himself having to dodge more than he could try to shoot, with Wolf moving too quickly for him to keep up. Wolf gave a laugh, knowing he had the upper hand as the fight began.

"What's the matter, Fox? Lost your edge? Have you gotten too old? Come on, pup! Fight!" Wolf taunted Fox.

Despite the rough start, Fox stayed focused, not allowing Wolf to gain an emotional edge. Fox allowed Wolf to gain on him, suddenly performing a loop to throw Wolf off. Now behind Wolf, Fox shot as much laser-fire as he could at the back of Wolf's ship, shifting the battle in his favor. Wolf moved out of the way, but not before taking some significant damage. Fox could hear Wolf snarling in anger over the intercom.

Fox saw the Cornerian Army ships were taking care of the new wave of Bowman's ships. He also noticed his teammates were doing well against Panther and Leon. Having two additional pilots helped a lot, of course, but beating Star Wolf was never easy. Panther and Leon's Wolfens had both taken some damage already.

"This is no fair… there are too many!" Panther remarked. "One is not on the right side!"

"Shut it!" Krystal snapped, annoyed by Panther's comments.

"Harsh…" Leon muttered.

Falco and Krystal were starting to handle business easily against Leon, who was faring the worst now. For some time Falco and Leon had shared a personal rivalry, so this was a big deal for Falco. He was sure to rub it in Leon's face.

"How do you like that, lizard boy?" Falco jeered as he fired at Leon's ship. "You gonna fight me or what?"

"Shut up, you annoying bird!" Leon yelled, clearly losing his composure.

The fight between Slippy, Amanda, and Panther was much closer, but Slippy and Amanda were eventually able to gain an edge. They found a way to deplete Panther's ship with some tricky maneuvers, and he was unable to keep up eventually. He growled, knowing he wouldn't last much longer.

"Urrgh… we _must_ recruit another couple members next time…" Panther said.

The battle between Fox and Wolf remained very back-and-forth until the end. Since he was fighting one-on-one, Fox's Arwing took more damage than his teammates'. Ultimately, Wolf's cockiness was his downfall, and Fox was able to capitalize whenever Wolf became overconfident. After many series of skilled maneuvering, Fox was able to drain Wolf's ship to the point where it could no longer fight back. Each Wolfen was now down to its last leg, and it was evident Star Fox had won. At this point, the Cornerian Army also had beaten all of Bowman's forces.

Wolf, who rarely lost his cool, yelled in anger. "You won't be so lucky next time, Fox! Star Wolf WILL take you down! Do you hear me?! Next time, Fox!"

With that, the Star Wolf team retreated. Each Star Fox member gave a shout of rejoice, proud to have once again bested Star Wolf. It was always a victory the Star Fox team savored in particular.

"HA! Takes care of those losers!" Falco taunted.

"We beat 'em again!" Slippy remarked.

"Well done, team!" Beltino congratulated the Star Fox members.

"Thanks, Pop!" Slippy said back. "Glad we could help you out!"

"We did pretty well, huh?" Amanda asked.

"Yes; we were all fantastic!" Krystal complimented everyone.

"Great job, everyone!" Fox said to his teammates. "You all did great!"

"We DESTROYED those fools!" Falco said, laughing. "If that's the best Bowman's got, he won't last two seconds when we see him!"

Slippy laughed too, sharing Falco's confidence. "Yeah! We got this war in the bag! Star Fox always comes out on top!"

"Well, let's just make sure we all stay focused," Krystal said, not letting herself get overly excited.

"She's right; we still have to take care of Bowman, and I wouldn't take it lightly," Fox said. "Let's get back to the Great Fox, guys! We've got to get to Venom!"

"Did you all want to use the Orbital Gate's transport? It would get you there in a jiffy!" Beltino suggested.

"That would be great! Right, Fox?" Slippy said.

"Yes; it would be much appreciated, Commissioner!" Fox said to Beltino. "We'll fly back to the Great Fox and get to the portal as soon as we can!"

"I'll set it up, then; good luck, everybody!" Beltino said to the team.

They each said a thank you to Beltino, and bid the commissioner farewell. The teammates flew their Arwings back in the direction of the Great Fox so that they could get to the portal. Fox felt quite lively, and he was truly proud to be the captain of this team. He deeply valued the heart and soul of his teammates, and he was always grateful for their company. Beating Star Wolf especially helped him feel excited.

"Is everyone ready to get to Venom and finish this war?" Fox asked everyone.

"Yes, Fox!" Krystal enthusiastically replied first.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Slippy happily answered.

"Yes, sir!" Amanda said.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Falco replied gleefully.

Fox grinned, pleased to hear the enthusiasm from his teammates. It made him more confident, and he knew this attitude would help them win the war. The Arwings made their way back to the Great Fox, ready to use the portal and finally get to Venom.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

After the Arwings parked back inside the Great Fox, the teammates went to the bridge together to see ROB again. They were all excited and enthusiastic about getting to Venom, ready to finish the war. The robot had been patiently waiting for them, and he welcomed them back when they arrived.

"Good to see you all again," ROB said in his monotone voice.

"Good to see you too, metal-head!" Falco replied. "You ready to go to Venom?"

"As ready as I could be…" ROB answered.

"Great, great!" Falco said, giving ROB a slap on the back.

"Ow," the robot muttered.

The team noticed the portal opening near the Orbital Gate station; Beltino had opened the path for them. The portal had a green color, and was shaped like a perfect circle. They had once used the Orbital Gate to reach the Aparoid Homeworld, when they had faced the threat of the Aparoid invasion. The teammates all took deep breaths, preparing to finally reach Venom.

"Everyone ready?" Fox asked the crew.

"Pfft, about time!" Falco replied.

"Let's do it!" Slippy cried.

"Right! It's time!" Amanda said.

"Ready, Fox!" Krystal said.

Fox nodded. It _was_ time. He turned to ROB and gave the order.

"ROB, take us through the portal!" Fox said.

"Affirmative; headed to Venom," ROB answered.

The Great Fox flew past the Orbital Gate station, to the brightly-lit portal. The anticipation had mounted long enough for the Star Fox team; they were ready to end the war. The Great Fox made its way through the portal, warping the ship from the Orbital Gate to right outside Planet Venom.

All eyes widened as the team had transported, now seeing Venom right in front of them. It was a greenish, brownish planet, and larger than most in the Lylat galaxy. Fox had been here before to defeat Andross and the Anglar Emperor. Now he was ready to defeat Bowman.

"Well, this is it!" Slippy chirped excitedly.

"Yes, darling! The final battle!" Amanda remarked.

"So… what's the plan?" Falco asked Fox.

The others in the room looked to Fox. He looked back, and scratched the back of his head casually. It was an awkward, comical moment of silence.

"Well… I didn't really think about it much," Fox said honestly. "I suppose it'll be just like usual; we'll blast our way through Bowman's ships, find out where Bowman is, and have him surrender. One way or the other, anyway…"

"Sounds good to me," Falco replied. "I eat these guys for breakfast. Shouldn't be any problem!"

"Nah; we're good!" Slippy agreed.

"Yes, I do believe we'll pull through!" Amanda added.

"No worries, Fox," Krystal said, smiling at Fox.

He smiled back at her, and then looked at all his teammates. "Everyone - I want to thank you for everything. All the energy you've put into this – I really do appreciate it. Without everyone's efforts here, we wouldn't have been able to have done this well…"

"Ah, Foxie," Falco sighed. "You're starting to sound like Peppy with this speech!"

Fox grinned. He knew it wasn't a compliment from Falco, but he took it as one all the same. He thought of how much Peppy had helped him in his life, emotionally and on the battlefront. It gave Fox amazing confidence knowing Peppy was proud of him, and part of him wished he was here, even though he was quite old now.

"Well, you get the idea, I suppose," Fox said. "Let's get to the Arwings then! ROB, fly the Great Fox and use the main cannons!"

"Affirmative; good luck, team," ROB said to the teammates.

"Thanks, Robby!" Falco said, giving the robot a playful slap on his robotic cheek.

ROB let out another emotionless, "Ow."

With that, the teammates left ROB behind and ran to the hangar. They got into their Arwings and flew out in front of the Great Fox, ready to enter Venom. The five Arwings made their way in, with the Great Fox right behind.

* * *

The team could tell at once the planet had noticeably improved. They saw Bowman had indeed helped improve things; there were buildings, streets - everything! It was a civilized area on Venom! It was truly a bizarre sight for the team to see.

"Can you guys believe this is Venom?!" Falco asked, clearly stunned.

"Seriously!" Slippy agreed. "It's a totally different planet!"

"Yes, it did look quite different when the Anglar army was here," Krystal said. "It's much nicer now…"

"Give Bowman credit where credit's due! It does look nice here! Almost like Corneria!" Falco said.

"It'll be nicer we put Bowman and his army out of business," Fox replied harshly.

"True," Amanda agreed. "Let's hope most of Bowman's forces are out and about in other parts of the galaxy!"

At that moment, a giant horde of enemy ships appeared in the distance. They were approaching rapidly. Somehow, they had quickly figured out Star Fox had arrived.

"How the heck did they know so soon that we got here?!" Falco asked angrily.

"No time to worry about that! Let's take them out! ROB, try to concentrate your fire on the largest groupings of enemies!" Fox ordered.

"Affirmative," the robot gave his usual reply.

ROB charged the Great Fox's main guns, ready to fire. The Arwings all charged their lasers as well. A few seconds later, Bowman's ships reached the Arwings and Great Fox and began firing. Star Fox was quick to return fire.

As the battle began, the Star Fox team was getting the job done. Each teammate was swiftly dodging enemy fire and shooting down multiple ships with ease. It was the usual routine for a while, with the Star Fox team finding fairly easy success against their enemy. ROB was also able to help by striking down several ships with the Great Fox's guns.

Before long, the first wave of enemies had been conquered. Before the Star Fox team could be too happy with the results, they saw more ships were coming for them. A lot more. It looked like a hundred more…

 _Oh, no…_ Fox thought. Rarely did he lose confidence in a combat situation, but this looked quite dire. He didn't know whether to keep fighting or retreat. _Can we take them all on? What do we do…?_

"Uh, Fox…?" Slippy asked, also concerned.

"We keep fighting, right, Fox?" Falco asked, a little worry noticeable in his tone.

"Fox?" Krystal asked, as the enemies were drawing nearer.

"…Yes. Keep fighting," Fox replied finally. "If things get bad… we'll retreat."

"We can do it; come on!" Slippy said, trying to encourage his teammates.

"Let's push on!" Amanda agreed.

Bowman's forces arrived, and began the attack on Star Fox. The team was forced to be on the run most of the time, with Bowman's abundant ships sending constant fire at them. Things did not go well.

It wasn't long before Fox realized he had made the wrong decision. He and his teammates weren't able to shoot down many enemies at all, instead stuck trying their best to avoid being shot. It had been hopeless almost immediately. There was only one choice left.

"Fall back, guys! Fall back!" Fox commanded, knowing the battle wasn't winnable.

The Arwings began to retreat to the Great Fox, but the enemy forces remained aggressive. Fox felt laser-fire rain against his Arwing; in a few seconds, his ship was going down, and fast. He noticed two other Arwings were coming down with him. They were Slippy's and Amanda's.

"NOOO!" Falco yelled, seeing his teammates going down.

"FOX!" Krystal cried frantically.

As he plummeted in his ship, Fox was still thinking of what was best. He was angry at himself for not retreating sooner, but he recognized it was too late to let the mistake distract him too much. He spoke into the intercom to give a final order to Falco and Krystal.

"Falco, Krystal! Leave now!" Fox instructed firmly. "Don't worry about us; we'll be fine. Just don't let them get you!"

"But, Fox!" Krystal began.

"NO! NOW!" Fox yelled. "THAT'S AN ORDER! GO!"

 _I won't let them get you, too…_ Fox thought resolutely. _Not you, Krystal…_

"Let's go, Krystal! Come on!" Falco said. "We'll figure this out!"

Krystal then left with Falco, escaping the enemy ships and making it back to the Great Fox. The Great Fox took a few hits before it was able to escape the planet. Meanwhile, Fox, Slippy, and Amanda continued falling, getting close to the ground.

"Slippy! Amanda! Brace for impact!" Fox warned his teammates.

"Right!" Amanda replied.

"Right!" Slippy said as well.

The three slowed their Arwings as much as they could, readying themselves to hit the ground. Fox groaned as it was about to happen, now having had this happen to him twice recently. He wasn't used to this kind of failure.

The Arwings hit the ground - fortunately in an open field, away from the city area they had entered in. The impact still hurt a little, as expected, and the feeling of such a bad defeat stung Fox worse. Fox, Slippy, and Amanda opened their Arwing hatches and climbed out of the damaged ships. Before they could do anything else, Bowman's ships swarmed them. Ten of the ships landed, and the soldiers from each ship got out with blasters in hand. Fox saw they were all monkeys, like most of Andross's army had been. Fox knew it was no use to fight back now.

"Hands up, Star Fox," one of the soldiers commanded haughtily.

The three stuck their hands up, unhappily complying. Three soldiers surrounded each of the Star Fox members, while the speaker stood apart. He smirked arrogantly, proud to have helped shoot down Fox McCloud's Arwing.

"You're coming with us; I think Bowman would enjoy talking with you," the soldier said.

Fox sighed, expecting something like this. He figured he would be handcuffed and dragged away next. Typical.

"To be sure you don't struggle…" the soldier said.

Suddenly, another soldier behind Fox whacked him over the head with a blaster. Slippy and Amanda violently protested, but were held back by the soldiers. With the hard hit, Fox fell to the ground unconscious.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Fox groggily awoke in a jail cell, finding himself totally alone. There were a few other cells in the room, but they were all were vacant. He immediately wondered to himself where Slippy and Amanda were, much more concerned about them than himself. Why wouldn't they be here, in another cell?

 _What did they do with them?!_ Fox fearfully thought to himself.

The door to the room swung open, and two of Bowman's (armed) guards entered the room. They approached Fox's cell, smirking wickedly at the mercenary. Fox looked back at them with disgust.

"McCloud – Bowman wants you," one of the guards said.

The other guard opened the cell door and came in to grab Fox. Fox, too tired to struggle, let the guard grab him by his collar and haul him out of the cell. The two guards took Fox down the jail hallway and out of the gloomy room.

The guards escorted Fox through a few more hallways – each with differently colored walls. There was a red one, a blue one, a purple one, and a green one – all incredibly vibrant-looking. Fox didn't know what to make of the wacky building, walking through a different-colored room in every hallway and having been kept in an empty jail room. He hadn't seen anything like it.

Eventually, the three stopped at a door in the green hallway, and one of the guards opened it up. The other shoved Fox inside the room, and walked him over to a metal chair in the center of the room. The chair had a handcuff attached to each arm and on the front legs – an ideal instrument for torture. Fox was thrown into the chair by the guards, and his hands and legs were cuffed. Once Fox had been cuffed, the guards exited the room, slamming the door behind them.

 _Why did they leave…?_ Fox wondered.

This room was quite simple; besides the chair Fox was sitting on, there was only a dimly-lit lamp on the ceiling and a long table with beakers of liquid on it. It was a mostly bare room overall, like the jail Fox had been in. A bright light suddenly switched on, revealing Dash Bowman behind the table. He had been hiding in the shadows near the table, and had changed the dim room to an incredibly bright one. The monkey took a few steps toward Fox, smiling, and began to talk.

"Welcome, Fox McCloud, welcome," Bowman said. "It's been far too long."

"Far too long since you fought on Corneria's side," Fox spitefully responded, referring to Bowman's days as a Cornerian Army pilot. "What did you do with Slippy and Amanda?"

Bowman chuckled. "Don't worry, they're not dead yet! And I'm afraid I don't share your view on where I should be. It was pretty miserable, faking my life all the time. Having to pretend I enjoyed fighting for those scumbags. Pretending I was alright with how my grandfather was treated. Pretending to _you_ … now that was the most annoying part."

"So why did you?" Fox asked.

"Simple; I had to get by," Bowman answered. "There was nothing I could do at the time! I had to wait for my opportunity. And I got that opportunity, when you and your team took down those Anglar fools. Venom was all mine for the taking. Of course, it took some time, but I was able to bring greatness to this planet, and make it better than Corneria. I built a better army, too. I admit your dreadful little team did some damage to my army - and Star Wolf, of course - but it won't be enough."

"You seem pretty confident," Fox said, staying calm. "I wouldn't be so sure. You didn't capture all the team, and the Cornerian Army is more resilient than you think."

"Don't be stupid, Fox," Bowman retorted. "My army has overpowered Corneria's in most of the conflicts your team wasn't involved in. And with three of you in my custody, what's left of your team won't be able to do anything! Face it, Fox - you're finished. And so is your precious Corneria. The galaxy will be mine, and it is headed for better times."

Bowman paused for a moment, expecting Fox to say something in protest. Fox stayed silent, simply glaring at Bowman. Bowman continued, "It was all too easy to get you down once you came to my planet. You see, I had radars set up! I knew it was a matter of time before you'd march right in, all heroics like usual. You should consider yourself lucky we weren't able to capture all five of you. Eventually I'll have them too, and they'll suffer for assisting you. You're going to pay for taking Andross from me, Fox. For trying to destroy his vision. Iwill carry out his vision, and anyone who defies me _will_ perish."

"Why bother with all this talking anyway if you're just going to kill me?" Fox asked tiredly.

"Oh don't worry; you _will_ die! But first, I want you to suffer!" Bowman declared chirpily.

Bowman went to the table and grabbed a beaker filled with a bright green liquid. Fox eyed the liquid apprehensively, apprehensive for what was coming next. Bowman approached Fox, grinning mischievously with the beaker of liquid in his hand.

"Here we have a special acid – I've had scientists developing these nasty little experiments," Bowman explained. "We figure they could come in handy, should we face uncooperative pests down the line – conquering the galaxy and all. This particular acid I'm told is the most painful one we've made. You should feel honored, being the first to receive it!"

Bowman lifted the beaker right above Fox's hand. He gingerly tipped the beaker, letting only a tiny bit out for the moment. The acid droplets hit Fox's fingers. The burning sensation made him immediately yelp and writhe in pain, much to Bowman's delight. The acid chewed deeply into Fox's fur and skin; Fox was breathing heavily, trying to overcome the intense sting.

Bowman continued baring a large grin, staring at his wounded victim. He then began to casually pace; he slowly circled around Fox, humming a happy tune. After a couple rotations, Bowman abruptly threw more of the acid at Fox, not even bothering to take exact aim. Fox jerked his head to avoid being hit in the face, but some of the droplets still found one of his arms and one his legs. The acid cut through his clothes, fur, and skin. Every single spot an acid droplet hit burned sensationally. The pain was tremendous – worse than any other physical pain Fox could recall having.

Bowman resumed circling around Fox and humming blissfully. Cuffed to the chair, Fox was completely at Bowman's mercy, unable to escape. He couldn't recall a worse predicament.

 _When is this maniac going to stop…?_ Fox miserably thought to himself.

Again, after walking a few circles around Fox, Bowman wildly threw more acid. One of the droplets clipped the side Fox's eye – the most painful hit yet. He screamed impulsively, closing his damaged eye. After a few seconds, he tried opening the eye; it was difficult, but he could mostly open it. It was fortunate it hadn't been a direct hit, or Fox figured he would have been blind in the eye.

"What's the matter, Fox-o, pal?" Bowman mockingly asked Fox. He tilted his head back and forth, observing Fox at different angles. "You don't look so good!"

Fox didn't bother replying, knowing nothing he could say would help him. He just had to suffer as long as Bowman wanted him to. There was nothing he could do.

"Not talking? How boring," Bowman said, faking a yawn thereafter.

Fox only glared at Bowman, bitter anger in his eyes. He wasn't going to let Bowman get to him. He would not let Bowman conquer him mentally as well.

Bowman smirked, still pleased with the pain he had caused Fox. He then dumped the remaining acid on Fox's leg – a large amount. Fox could not help but yell in pain; the acid completely ate away the spot on his leg, reaching Fox's bone. It was utterly excruciating.

"The great Fox McCloud – brought down low!" Bowman scoffed, anger now in his tone. "What a pathetic sight! You scum… how happy are you now that you killed my grandfather?!"

Fox sat limp, his energy totally drained. The pain continued surging through him. Bowman went on speaking.

"I'll finish what he started," Bowman declared, referring to Andross. "You will be forgotten, Fox. _No one_ will have any need to remember you! I will be the one who is remembered! I'll control this galaxy as long as I live! And one day I will find an heir to continue my empire, and secure my legacy!"

Bowman stared at Fox once again, seeing his foe in an extremely weak state. Fox's head was drooped down, and he looked nearly dead. Bowman swiftly changed his serious tone back to a happy one.

"I'm glad we could have this time together," Bowman remarked, grinning madly. "It's been fun! It doesn't look like you have anything to say, so I'm just gonna put you back in your cage, alright? We'll get to killing you later!"

Rather than simply untying Fox, Bowman kicked the metal chair over, sending Fox backward and slamming his skull hard on the back of the chair. Any bit of energy Fox had remaining went away. And once more, with a hard hit to his head, Fox passed out.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Several days had passed since Fox's torture. He remained imprisoned in his lonely jail cell, with nothing to do but lie around and hope for the best. There had been no considerable opportunities for him to attempt an escape yet.

The guards gave Fox just enough food and water to stay alive, disallowing him the chance to fully regain his strength. His wounds from the acid continued to hurt quite badly. He constantly thought about how he might be able to escape, desperately hoping the guards would slip up someday soon and give him an opening. No situation before had ever been so bleak for Fox.

Fox thought to himself constantly in the cell, thinking about his circumstance and his teammates. He wondered if Slippy and Amanda were still alive, and if they had also been tortured. He wondered if Falco and Krystal would come back, and if they could somehow rescue them all. It was far-fetched, of course, but wishful thinking was all Fox had at the moment.

Mostly Fox thought about Krystal. He wanted so much to reunite with her, and to make sure she was alright. The thought of dying without her stayed in his mind, making him feel even worse about being trapped here. Sad thoughts of his love kept circling his mind. He needed to get out so he could be with her again…

 _I can't die without her… Krystal… I'm sorry for everything…_

* * *

One particular day, a miracle happened. The day started normally, with Fox waking up at an unknown hour and continuing to lie around depressed. Much time passed in silence; Fox had no reason to expect any surprises today. A surprise was just what he got though, when he saw two familiar faces enter the jail room. A monkey guard was walking with them.

"Slippy! Amanda!" Fox cried, rushing to the bars of his cell to see his friends up-close. He could hardly believe it, but he was overjoyed to see them again.

"Hiya, Fox!" Slippy said, cheerful to see his friend again.

"Good to see you, Fox! We were worried we wouldn't ever see you again!" Amanda said.

An awkward silence came next, as Fox turned his attention to the guard. Fox could only assume the guard's intentions couldn't be completely good. Fox stared hard at the monkey, clear resentment in his eyes. Why was this happening?

"So what's this all about, then?" Fox asked the guard, with some harshness in his voice.

"Captain McCloud… I know this will sound crazy, but I want to help you," the guard explained timidly.

"It's okay, Fox; he's on our side!" Slippy assured Fox chirpily.

The guard nodded, and continued speaking, "It's true! Bowman doesn't know, but I've never been loyal. I was drafted and had no choice but to fight for him. I think he's insane and needs to be stopped before he completely ruins the Lylat System. I want to get you and your friends out of here and back to Corneria, so you can help win the war and defeat Bowman."

Fox eyed the monkey skeptically, heavily considering that he wasn't telling the truth.

 _What are the odds one of Bowman's troops would want to help me out and become the most wanted man on Venom? Sure, maybe he doesn't like Bowman, but he's risking everything for this. It's probably just a trap…_

"How can we trust you?" Fox questioned the guard, as politely as possible.

"I know it may not be much for you to go on, but I _am_ a man of my word," the monkey said earnestly. "I'll do everything I can to get you all of here, to some ships, and off of Venom. I want you to win the war, and make our galaxy peaceful again. For now though, I need you to trust me. With all due respect, sir, what other choice do you have?"

Fox continued to stare at the monkey. He knew he had a point; it was either take the chance of going with the guard, or continue to sit around here and hope for some other kind of opportunity. Fox couldn't be entirely certain if the monkey was being sincere, but if he was lying, he was doing an awfully good job of it.

"Alright," Fox said, giving the monkey a nod. "Let's go."

The monkey smiled, and opened the cell door for Fox. As Fox got out of the cell, the monkey noticed the nasty wounds Fox had sustained. His smile turned into a frown, and he looked disgusted at what Bowman had done to Fox.

As Fox noticed the monkey looking at his wounds, the monkey looked down, and said, "I'm… I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Fox said. He turned to face Slippy and Amanda, asking, "Did he hurt you guys?"

"No, we're okay," Amanda answered. "He just came to our cells once and tried intimidating us. Told us about what he did to you. He's a real… character…"

"Pffft, that's for sure!" Slippy agreed. "What a creep!"

The monkey addressed the three Star Fox members. "Here's the deal: I'm going to walk you all out of the building as quietly as possible. Bowman's not supposed to be in the building right now. If any of the guards ask about us, I'll tell them Bowman said to move you guys into another cell. If I can get you guys to the nearest ship hangar, which isn't far, you should be able to get out of here from there."

Fox, Slippy, and Amanda nodded, understanding the situation. The monkey led the three out of the prison room and into the red hallway. It was time to escape.

While the monkey walked in front of them, the three Star Fox members acted like prisoners as best as they could. A thought crossed Fox's mind however, and he suddenly began to worry. They had missed an important detail.

 _No handcuffs…_

"Slippy… Amanda…" Fox whispered to his teammates.

"What?" they whispered back.

"Pretend like you're handcuffed. It'll look too suspicious if we keep going like this," Fox said to them.

"Good thinking," Slippy said.

The three each pressed their fists together and put them behind their back, trying to look as convincing as possible. They had gone through the first two hallways, and so far they hadn't seen any guards. Once they got to the purple hall, however, they did notice one guard strolling along, who appeared to be in his own world. The guard simply whistled and walked past the four, seemingly not having even noticed them – or paid any attention anyway.

 _Someone's alert,_ Fox sarcastically thought to himself, still grateful the guard hadn't said anything.

The four continued to walk, eventually getting to the green hallway – the hallway containing the room Fox had been tortured in. Just as they were nearing the end of the hallway, a guard emerged from one of the doors and immediately took notice of the Star Fox members. They all stopped moving once the guard shouted.

"Hey there! Robert – stop right there!" the guard said, running over to them.

 _Oh, great; nothing good comes out of this room…_ Fox thought to himself, the memories of his torture all too fresh.

Robert and the Star Fox members quickly turned around, and hoped the guard hadn't noticed they weren't really handcuffed. They three Star Fox teammates now knew their rescuer's name. The other guard approached them, a cocky smirk on his face. Like most of Bowman's army, he was another monkey.

"What do we have here, Rob? An escape attempt?" the guard asked, having seen right through them.

"I'm taking them to different cells; Bowman's orders," Robert replied calmly, hoping the guard would buy it.

"Yeah, sure; and he also ordered longer lunch breaks for us, right?" the guard scoffed. "I know you're trying to bust them out, Rob. You could never stop blabbing to me about how talented and great the Star Fox team is. You're their number one fan-boy, for goodness sake! I always knew you were a traitor. They're not even wearing handcuffs!"

Before the guard could say anything else, Robert lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. The two struggled for a moment, but Robert prevailed, knocking the guard out by smashing his head into the ground. Robert quickly got back up and ran back to the Star Fox members.

"We've got to get out of here now – there's no time to waste anymore!" Robert stated, leading the team out of the green hallway.

The four were running now, determined to get to the ship hangar as quickly as possible now. They knew the guard's unconscious body would be found quickly, and their window of opportunity to escape successfully was shrinking every second. They bolted through two more hallways (yellow-colored and orange-colored), running past a couple more guards who gave chase. Once Robert led them out of the orange-colored hallway, they were finally outside, leaving the bizarrely-designed building behind. From the exterior, it looked much plainer – simply a large, gray structure. Unfortunately, the guards that had noticed them continued following them outside, and a blaring alarm had been switched on.

"Just keep following me!" Robert yelled over the alarm sound. "The hangar's not far!"

They kept on sprinting, trying their hardest to outrun their pursuers and get to the hangar. More and more guards began to join in on the chase; tons were emerging from the building due to the alarm. They began to shoot their blasters and machine guns at the fugitive group, laser-fire circling them from every side. Each of them had incredibly high adrenaline, desperately hoping they would make it. They knew if they lost here, it was all over.

"Almost there!" Robert exclaimed, laser-fire whizzing over his head.

They could see the hangar up ahead, with its doors already open; it was a modestly-sized one, but it still had an abundant amount of ships inside. The hangar included numerous ships and weaponry; it was like a much smaller version of the main one inside Corneria's Army Center. Still managing to avoid the laser-fire behind them, the team rushed into the ship hangar and wasted no time getting to the three closest ships. Luckily they had managed to separate themselves from the enemy with some fast running, but they weren't ready to stick around.

Each of the Star Fox members hopped into the ships. Fox noticed Robert was sticking behind; he had assumed Robert would get into one of the ships and fly out of there with them.

"Robert! Aren't you coming with us?" Fox asked the monkey, genuinely concerned about him.

Robert looked up at Fox, a conflicted look in his eye. He did want to join them, but he also wanted to help them as much as he could. He was going to remain behind.

"No… I'll stay here and hold them off as long as I can. There's some grenades and rocket launchers I can use," Robert said to Fox.

"You don't have to do that," Fox said sadly. "Come with us! We could use you in the Cornerian Army, to help finish the war!"

"I appreciate the gesture, but… it's better this way," Robert replied. "If I come with you, they'll be right on our tails. We couldn't make it. If I hold them off you guys can get out safely, and they won't have enough time to follow you. I can't come. You must go now."

Robert ran to a nearby box containing a rocket launcher and picked it up, ready to start fending off the guards. Fox felt bad, but he knew Robert wouldn't change his mind. He had sacrificed everything just to give Fox, Slippy, and Amanda a fighting chance. It was an incredibly selfless act, and Fox could not fully express his gratitude for it.

"Robert… thank you, for everything," Fox said to Robert before departing.

Robert turned back to look at Fox one last time, and gave him a kind smile. It was the kind of smile a lifelong friend might give another, before the two separated for a long time – in this instance, forever. Robert knew he wasn't going to make it, but he had no regret in what he was doing.

As Robert turned his attention to the horde of oncoming soldiers, Fox, Slippy, and Amanda closed the cockpit windows of their ships. As quickly as they could, they took off with the ships and moved out of the hangar at full speed, finally getting out of Venom. It wasn't without stress, but the three found themselves in outer space once more. They continued flying as quickly as possible for a while until they were certain Bowman's troops wouldn't have a chance of catching up and finding them.

There was a long silence before anyone spoke to each other through the intercom, each teammate sad about losing Robert. It had all happened so fast. Fox felt sorry for having been rude to Robert when they first met, but was still grateful he got to thank him in the end. It was a bittersweet moment for all of them.

"Let's get back to Corneria," Fox said solemnly over the intercom.

Fox knew without Robert's help, there was no way he, Slippy, and Amanda could have made it out of Venom. Their ships would have been outnumbered and shot down by Bowman's forces. It had been a true miracle to keep them in the war, and Fox was not going to let it go to waste.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The trip back to Corneria was a somber one. Though Fox, Slippy, and Amanda were extremely relieved to have escaped from Venom, it had come with the price of Robert's life. They all felt bad about it, and none of them spoke much on the way to Corneria.

Unfortunately, they were all riding in enemy ships, so they wouldn't be able to simply go to the Cornerian Army Center; they'd be shot down before they could reach the ground! They'd have to find a quiet, isolated area to park the ships at. After a very long period of silence, Fox mentioned this over the intercom at one point, when they were getting fairly close to Corneria.

"Since we're in these ships, we'd better land somewhere quiet, or we're going to get shot down," Fox said to his teammates.

"We could just tell 'em it's us over the intercoms," Slippy suggested. "They'd recognize our voices, right?"

"Uh, I'm not willing to take that chance; they might not even give us the chance to talk," Fox replied.

"Good point," Slippy agreed, sighing. "At least we'll finally be able to get back home for a bit."

"Yes; it's been too long," Amanda added. "Our friends might think we're dead by now…"

"Probably; we've been gone for days," Slippy said sorrowfully. "I didn't know if we were ever going to get out."

Fox and Amanda agreed. The circumstances had been totally hopeless, and there wasn't any reason for their friends to think they were doing well. Fox wanted to see Falco, Peppy, and his other friends again, but most of all, his beloved fiancée – Krystal. She was always the biggest concern on his mind, and he hoped his absence hadn't hurt her too badly. He yearned to be back with her and happy again, even if it was only for a day before returning to battle.

* * *

When they arrived at Corneria, the three were very careful to stick to their plan and avoid the main city area. Luckily, when they entered the planet, they seemed to be nowhere near the city, the view consisting of some plains and lots of water. It seemed to be one of Corneria's uninhabited areas, which was a rare sight. What fortune that they didn't have to worry about being shot at for a change!

When Fox, Slippy, and Amanda landed on a flat part of the plains, they got out of the enemy ships and huddled together. They had gotten to Corneria without being killed, but had no idea how far they were from the city. What was next?

"So, what do we do now?" Slippy asked.

"Should we just start walking?" Amanda suggested.

"Who knows how far away we are from the city…" Fox said. "I guess we should just walk anyway. If we fly too far by mistake, we'll be shot..."

Suddenly, the Star Fox members were startled when they heard a voice shout at them, "HEY - WHO'S THERE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY PROPERTY?!"

They looked around, not noticing any house close by. They did notice the stranger who had yelled at them, who was running toward them. The stranger was an older fox, who had a mixed look of panic and anger on his face.

"Don't you know this is private…!" the fox began to lecture, but suddenly stopped when he took a look at Fox. His facial expression changed from panic and anger to surprise.

"I don't believe it… Fox McCloud…!" the fox said, his mouth agape.

"Yup, it's me; we're in sort of a jam, and we had to stop here…" Fox started to explain.

"No, you don't understand," the fox said. "I knew your father… James…"

"You did?!" Fox asked, now his turn to be surprised.

"I'm Jason… Jason Black… your father never mentioned me?" Jason asked.

"Hmmm… I don't think so; I'm sorry. Who are you, exactly?" Fox asked Jason.

"I was a friend of your father's," Jason explained. "We went to the Academy together, and… well, we used to be close, anyway…"

Following a pause in the conversation, Fox spoke again, "Well, we're sorry about landing here. I can explain everything; we used enemy ships to get to this secluded area, and didn't want the army to shoot us down. We have to get back to the city."

"Please, let me give you all a lift back!" Jason offered happily.

"Really?! You have a ship?!" Fox asked excitedly.

"You bet! It's big enough for all of us, too!" Jason said. "Come on, it's right nearby, at my house! I was just taking a walk, you see, and then I bumped into all of you!"

"Nice! This is awesome, mister!" Slippy gleefully said to Jason.

"Thank you so much for this, sir!" Amanda said, also pleased.

"No trouble at all! Let's go!" Jason said.

The four quickly made their way to Jason's house – which was rather small and plain-looking – and found a beautiful semi-large, silver ship next to it. The contrast between the ordinary house and the gorgeous ship was extreme! Fox, Slippy, and Amanda were all impressed by it, especially the great quality it was in.

"Nice ship!" Fox said, speaking his and his teammates' minds.

"Thanks!" Jason said. "This will get you all to the city in no time! I use it to go to the city whenever I need to stock up on supplies… and sometimes when I just want a joyride, too!"

Jason, Fox, Slippy, and Amanda got into the ship and got ready to take off. The interior was simple but comfortable, and though not as impressive as the exterior, was still very nice. It was no Great Fox, but still had enough seats for as many as six passengers on the bridge. There were only a couple additional rooms, but the ship wasn't meant for long voyages like the Great Fox was. Jason swiftly turned the ship on and got it off the ground, determined to get Fox and his teammates to the city as soon as he could.

"So, you live out here all alone?" Slippy asked Jason.

"You bet," Jason answered. "I've enjoyed the quiet life for several years now. You could call me a hermit, I suppose. I've just enjoyed time alone, you see. I wanted something different, after life in the city grew to be… well, not as meaningful."

"I could never live alone!" Slippy said, giving Amanda a warm hug and smile. She hugged and smiled back.

"So, you said you knew my father," Fox said to Jason. "Please, I'd like to know more about that."

"Sure! As I said, James and I went to school together," Jason said. "We hit it off immediately, him and I! James, Peppy, and I were all very close in those days…"

"I don't understand," Fox said. "If you were so close, why did I never know about you? And why didn't you stay close? No offense, sir – it just seems kind of strange to me."

"Yes… well, I suppose there really was no reason for James to mention me. You see, before he started the Star Fox team, I fell in love with the most wonderful vixen – Kara. The thing was, she would always worry about me going to battle since it was always a risk, and it strained our relationship. Though I loved flying, I loved Kara more, so I proposed to her and told her I would quit being a soldier. So we were married, and my flying days were over. I certainly don't regret it; I loved her so much…"

Jason went quiet for a moment, a sad look in his eyes. Fox took notice, and assumed that something bad must have happened to Kara. He didn't ask though, and just let Jason continue when he was ready.

"Sometime after Kara and I were married, James contacted me, and asked me if I wanted to be in his Star Fox team. I told him I couldn't – that I was married and settled down. He understood, and so he had to look for another teammate. He had already picked Peppy, of course, but they wanted a third member. They settled for Pigma Dengar, as you know, and the rest is history… It just seems such a shame. If I had never met my Kara, I would have fought along with James in Star Fox, and without Pigma… everything would have been different…"

Jason paused again, glumly mulling over the alternate reality. He suddenly felt guilty in Fox's presence, feeling like he had deprived him of his father. Fox didn't put any blame on Jason, but Jason still felt bad anyway.

"I'm sorry, Fox…" Jason said. "If I never knew Kara… you could still have your father, probably…"

"It's not your fault," Fox said assuredly, not feeling any contempt for Jason. "Don't feel bad about it. It's no one's fault but Pigma's… and he's gone now."

Jason made a slight smile, showing Fox he appreciated his feelings about it. Fox smiled back. Jason had been a close friend of his father's, and Fox could tell by the way he spoke and acted.

"I am glad I could help you and your friends in some way," Jason said, sounding a little livelier. "Is there anything else I can do for you – anything at all?"

"I don't think so; we just needed the ride back," Fox replied. "We really appreciate this."

"No problem at all," Jason said. "It's the least I could do, really… I'm glad I finally got to meet you!"

"Likewise," Fox said, giving the older fox a smile. "If there's anything I can do for you, just say the word. If you ever want to move back to the city we could help you with that."

Jason returned Fox's smile, and said, "I appreciate the gesture. Fox, I have total confidence you and your friends will win the war. You're a great pilot like your father before you. And you've never failed before!"

"I came awfully close this time…" Fox admitted to Jason.

"How's that?" Jason asked, surprised to hear Fox's response.

"Well, the three of us were captured by Bowman. We were stuck in jail for days. We could have been killed at any time. One guard who was secretly against Bowman freed us and helped us escape… it cost him his life," Fox explained. "It's a miracle we were able to get out. That's how we got to your home."

"I see… that is a close one," Jason said. "Fate brought you back, though. I believe in fate, and I believe it brought you back so you could go on to win the war. I see it like this: people come into your life at certain times to make some kind of impact on you… that guard saved your lives… James was in my life for a time and helped me become a better pilot, and a better person. And now I've met you, Fox. It's been a long time since I've gotten to know someone new, living alone and all, but I don't believe it's a coincidence that you came to where I was. I know you're a strong, determined leader like your father. I hear about it plenty when I go into the city, and now I know for certain just being with you! You're exactly like James… I mean that in the best way…"

"Thank you," Fox said sincerely. He not only appreciated Jason for complimenting him, but for speaking from his heart so passionately.

 _All these years of living alone must have bottled up his emotions…_ Fox thought to himself.

"We'll be at the city very shortly," Jason said to everyone.

"Thanks so much, sir!" Slippy said excitedly. "It's really awesome you could do this for us!"

"Thank you; this means a lot to us!" Amanda said.

"The pleasure has been all mine!" Jason replied with a smile.

Fox was very happy to have met Jason. Though he had never known about Jason before today, it felt as though he had known him for years! Fox figured this was because of his connection to James. Fox was truly grateful to know he had another link to his father.


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: I feel I must apologize for having taken so long to push this chapter out. Things often get in the way. I will try harder though to get more done more quickly next time! Sorry to all my readers for the long wait; I will try to be quicker next time! Please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 16**

"Here we are!" Jason chirped as the group reached Corneria City.

It was a very welcome sight for Fox, Slippy, and Amanda to see again. Though there was still damage from the attack on the city, this was home – especially to Fox. His heart beat fast, excited to finally see Krystal again. There were other things to take care of, but she stayed at the front of his mind.

"When Bowman had us locked up, I was worried we'd never see this place again!" Slippy remarked.

"I was too, darling," Amanda agreed. "How awful that would have been…"

"I'm glad you all did make it out!" Jason said.

"What about you, Fox? Weren't you worried about getting out?" Slippy asked Fox.

"Yeah… I didn't expect to make it out," Fox admitted. "We were in there for days. An escape didn't look likely…"

"Well, you did get out! And now there's no stopping you from ending this war!" Jason said enthusiastically.

Fox smiled, happy to have a vote of confidence. "Thanks, Jason. We'll do our best."

"You'll be fine; you've always pulled through before, after all!" Jason remarked.

"I appreciate it," Fox said. "We'll have to be as ready as ever for Bowman, though. He's out for blood and he has to be taken seriously."

"That's for sure," Amanda agreed. "He nearly had us back there, and his army has been relentless!"

"Definitely as challenging as anyone we've faced to this point!" Slippy agreed with them. "But now, we'll get Falco and Krystal back! And hopefully lots of the Cornerian Army, too!"

"Like I said, I have no doubt you'll be victorious," Jason said to the three teammates. "Here we are – the Cornerian Army Center!"

The group looked below the ship to see the familiar Army Center building. It was fortunate Bowman's forces hadn't caused much damage to it in their assault on Corneria. Jason landed his ship close to the building; before reaching the ground, several Cornerian soldiers had rushed out with guns in hand. One of them recognized Fox inside the ship, and signaled for the others to put their weapons away. Once the ship was parked, Jason, Fox, Slippy, and Amanda got off and were warmly greeted by the soldiers. Lance Mitchell, Falco's friend, was among them.

"Fox McCloud! Slippy, Amanda! It's great to see you all!" Lance cried happily.

"The last thing we were told was that you were captured by Bowman," another soldier said. "We were worried you wouldn't make it back!"

"Well, we did! And now we're ready to pay Bowman back!" Slippy said enthusiastically.

"Right this moment? Wouldn't you care to take the rest of the day off?" Lance asked.

"That's probably a good idea," Amanda agreed with the guard. She turned to Fox, asking, "What do you think, Fox? You _are_ the captain."

"I definitely think that's a good idea; we need to get some rest and be as prepared as possible before we go to Venom again," Fox answered.

"Sounds good," Slippy said. "I just can't wait to put out that Bowman! The guy's a total creep and needs to go down!"

"True enough," Fox agreed. "When we're at full strength, we'll be able to finish the job. First thing's first; we need to rendezvous with Krystal and Falco. Then we should meet with Peppy about the plan for attacking Venom."

"That'll work; who do we contact first?" Amanda asked.

"Well… if you two don't mind, I'd like to see Krystal alone first," Fox said slowly.

"No worries; we can meet up with Falco in the meantime," Slippy suggested. "Then maybe we can all meet back here to talk to Peppy?"

"That's a good idea," Fox said. "Let's meet back here at 6:00. That should give us a few hours. We need to find wherever Krystal and Falco are…"

"As far as I know, Krystal should be at her house," Lance said to Fox. "You see, when she and Falco got back, she wanted to set right back out to rescue you all from Venom. Peppy told her it would take a long while to have enough soldiers to be able to attack Venom, and it was too risky to go right back out. Since the Cornerian Army is currently spread out in the galaxy and we needed to keep our home planet protected as well, there was just no opportunity open. Peppy wasn't happy about it either, of course, but it just wasn't feasible. Krystal went back to her home and we haven't seen her here since."

"I see… what about Falco?" Fox asked.

"He was also pretty ticked off that he couldn't go back. I'm not sure if he'll be at his house or not, though. You know Falco as good as me; he is pretty restless…" Lance replied.

"Do you know how we could get in touch with him?" Fox asked.

"You could try his communicator?" Lance suggested.

Fox's eyes popped, and he suddenly felt dumb for having forgotten all about the device.

 _How the heck could I forget about that dumb thing?! I could have tried talking to Krystal and Falco a long time ago!_ Fox thought to himself.

"Right… we'll try that," Fox said, a little embarrassed.

"We'll worry about getting in touch with Falco," Amanda said. "You just take care of Krystal, Fox."

One of the guards, who had been staring at Jason for most of the conversation, spoke up. "Mr. McCloud, I don't mean to sound rude, but who is this man with you?"

Fox knew the guard was talking about Jason. Jason awkwardly stood in his place without speaking. Fox had grown close to the older fox already, and he wanted Jason to feel welcome and part of the group.

"He's a friend who helped bring us here; he's good," Fox told the guard, then smiling to Jason.

Jason faintly smiled back. The guard simply nodded and looked away from Jason. Fox turned back to Lance to speak to.

"Could you give Peppy the word that we're back and we want to have a meeting sometime after 6? I guess 6:30?" Fox asked.

"Will do, Fox," Lance answered. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to know you're back! I know we all are!"

"I suppose my business here is concluded then…" Jason said with noticeable sadness. "I should be getting out of your way."

"Hold up!" Fox said as Jason began walking back to his ship.

"Listen, um… you don't have to leave now if you don't want," Fox said. "You could stick around. We just met you, and I don't want to have to lose you just now… please, won't you stay?"

Jason heard the sincerity in Fox's voice and saw it in his eyes, and it made him happy. Jason smiled at the younger Fox, thankful to feel wanted again. Fox wanted Jason to feel welcome and didn't want to lose him so soon after meeting him.

"Well, since you don't mind, I guess I will then!" Jason replied.

Fox smiled back at Jason, pleased with the response. He was grateful to have another link to his lost father, and he wanted to know more about Jason. Fox turned his attention back to the soldiers.

"Make sure Jason is comfortable and welcome here; treat him like you'd treat me," Fox instructed the guards.

"Absolutely, Fox," Lance replied.

"Good. I have to go see Krystal now; I'll meet with you guys here at 6," Fox said to Slippy and Amanda.

"Okay then," Slippy said. "We'll try Falco on the communicator; hopefully we'll have some luck and we'll be able to get him in the next couple hours. See you later, Fox! You too, Jason!"

"Good luck!" Jason said to Fox, Slippy, and Amanda.

"Thanks; see you all later!" Fox said.

Fox departed from the Army Center and immediately began to make his way for Krystal's house, walking at a brisk pace. Since Krystal's house wasn't far from the Army Center, Fox didn't even bother to call her on his communicator. He just wanted to talk to her in person. He would be there soon, and finally get to be with her again.

Reuniting with Krystal was the only thing on Fox's mind for the moment, and it made him walk quickly. The more Fox thought of seeing Krystal, the faster he walked – until eventually he found himself running to her house! There were many citizens walking the city streets around Fox, who were gasping and pointing as they saw him. They were stunned and joyful to see the Star Fox captain again, and suddenly the whole area near Fox was becoming loud with applause and cheer. Fox ran past the citizens of Corneria – creatures of all kinds – who smiled and cheered at seeing him.

"IT'S FOX MCCLOUD!"

"FOX IS BACK!"

"I KNEW HE'D RETURN!"

"HEY, FOX!"

"HE'S BACK!"

"FOX!"

The screams and cheers around Fox made him smile as well. It suddenly felt like a small parade was taking place around him! Fox kept on running and grinning, his energy rising from seeing the people cheer him on. He acknowledged the crowd, waving and smiling back at them. It was encouraging for Fox to see just how much the people cared, and how much they wanted him to succeed. He had always known they depended on him and rooted for him, but for him to actually see them cheering this way before the war was even won was truly special.

* * *

It wasn't long before Fox reached Krystal's house, since he had been running most of the way. Fox had to leave the cheering crowd of citizens behind him for now, who continued cheering amongst themselves after Fox had left the crowded area of the city. Fox, now at Krystal's doorstep, took a deep breath. The optimism from the crowd and the thought of seeing Krystal again was making Fox's heart race with excitement. He knocked on the door.

Several seconds passed – which felt like minutes to Fox, until Krystal finally came. When she opened the door and saw Fox, her eyes grew big, and she froze up for a moment, clearly shocked to see him. Her appearance was haggard, but the sudden sight of Fox made her suddenly become much livelier. Still unmoving, she studied him for a minute, making sure it was really Fox she looked at. Fox took a step closer to her, smiling at his beloved.

"Krystal…" he said softly.

Before he could continue, Krystal unfroze and threw herself at Fox. She wrapped her arms around him so tight he began to choke! Fox tried to speak again, but before he could, she took his head and began to kiss him passionately. Fox kissed back, blissful to be in her arms once again. It was a moment he had longed for in his prison cell – one he had worried he may not get again. He cherished this embrace more than any other, and when Krystal finally loosened her grip a little, he hugged her back and held her close.

"I… I thought the worst," Krystal whispered in Fox's ear. "You were gone for days…"

"I'm here now," Fox whispered back to her. "Everything will be alright…"

The two continued hugging, savoring this wonderful moment of reunion. This went on for a minute or two in silence. When they did eventually release each other, Krystal cleared her throat and raised her voice from the whispering.

"We should talk," Krystal said.

Fox nodded. The two walked into her house and closed the door behind them; they were now together there for the first time since Bowman had declared war. They sat down together in the living room, and Fox began to tell Krystal about everything since his capture.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"…and now I'm back, here with you," Fox said to Krystal.

Fox had just finished explaining all the events that had happened to him, Slippy, and Amanda since their capture on Venom. He and Krystal were sitting on Krystal's cream-colored couch, close to one another. Fox was catching his breath after the long explanation, and Krystal was digesting all the information she had just been given. They looked at each other for a while in silence, Fox's expression being expectant and Krystal's being concerned.

"…I'm relieved you're back… you, Slippy, and Amanda," Krystal said first. She swallowed hard, then said, "Ever since Falco and I left Venom, I was worried every moment, Fox… worried I would never see you again. To know you were hurt so badly is just horrible… I wish we could have gone right back to get you; I feel awful that we didn't… I was so upset and scared, the whole time…"

"It's okay," Fox said, giving Krystal a reassuring smile. "We won't be separated like that again – I promise you."

Krystal made a slight smile back, and then gave Fox a tight hug. He hugged back, once more enjoying an embrace with his beloved. They enjoyed every embrace they had together, as it gave each of them comfort and reminded them of their unbreakable bond. They eventually released each other, and got back to talking things over.

"I'm glad you found Jason, and he was able to take you all back to the city; he seems like a good guy," Krystal said. "I look forward to meeting him."

"I'm sure he'll be pleased to meet you," Fox said. "He should still be at the Army Center when we get there."

"You said we have to be there by 6, right?" Krystal asked Fox.

"Yeah," Fox confirmed. It was one of the last things he had mentioned to Krystal in his lengthy explanation of circumstances. "We wanted to set up the meeting with Peppy and the others to get everything settled for the way moving forward."

Krystal looked at the wall clock in her kitchen, which showed it was now 4:26. Still some time left to kill. She looked back at Fox.

"We still have a little more than an hour," Krystal said. "What do you want to do?"

"Just relax," Fox replied. "After all, we won't have much time to do so before getting back to work. How about watching TV? Maybe a movie or something?"

"Alright; sounds good," Krystal agreed.

Krystal grabbed the TV remote from the table in front of them and switched the TV on. After a couple minutes of searching, Krystal found a movie she and Fox agreed on. The two foxes snuggled together on the couch and enjoyed their moments of free time before having to leave.

* * *

A little over an hour later, Fox and Krystal departed from the house and made their way to the Cornerian Army Center. On the way, Fox and Krystal received some positive attention from more of Corneria's citizens. Fox was still amazed to see how united the people were in celebrating his return and cheering on the Star Fox team. In the past, he had been too busy with missions to see up close how much these people cared – how positive and excited they were. It was a blessing and it made both Fox and Krystal want to be at their absolute best when they finished the war.

When they got to the Army Center entrance, Fox and Krystal were warmly welcomed by the soldiers. They arrived a few minutes before 6:00, and had to wait a little bit for the others to arrive. They stood nearby Jason's parked shipped, waiting for Slippy, Amanda, and Falco to arrive. Fox figured Jason and Lance must be inside the building somewhere.

A few minutes past 6, Slippy, Amanda, and Falco finally arrived. Upon arrival, Falco grinned widely and greeted Fox with a tight hug, which very much took Fox by surprise. Fox awkwardly hugged back a little, happy to see his friend again, but still astonished by the physical greeting. Krystal, Slippy, and Amanda all laughed at this affectionate exchange.

"It's great to see you again, buddy!" Falco exclaimed, cheerful as ever.

"Thanks, Falco; it's good to see again, too," Fox said, smiling back at his friend.

"Slippy and Amanda told me everything; man, I'm so sorry we couldn't come back for you guys," Falco said to Fox.

"It's alright; I understand," Fox replied. "Lance told me about it. Let's get to the meeting room. Peppy and everyone else should be ready by 6:30."

The Star Fox team, now reunited, walked into the Army Center building together. They made their way to the same meeting room that they had gone to before, at the start of the war. Hopefully, the war would soon be coming to an end.

Once the Star Fox members were inside the meeting room, they saw Peppy, Lance, and Jason were already there, as well as many other Cornerian soldiers. Peppy's eyes lit up and his ears rose when he saw the Star Fox team again – especially Fox, Slippy, and Amanda. He was overjoyed to see them alive again; without a moment's hesitation, he got out of his chair to give each of them a warm hug. They hugged back, glad to see their old general and friend again.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you all here!" Peppy exclaimed. "I worried so much about you three! I'm so sorry we couldn't send a rescue team; we just didn't have enough soldiers; the risks and odds were no good… I still feel terrible about it…"

"It's okay; we know," Fox said to his old friend. "We're just glad to be back now."

Peppy sighed with relief, and he and Fox smiled at one another. Fox understood, and despite the pain he had gone through at Venom, he held no bitter feelings toward Peppy about it. Fox knew Peppy would have helped had it been feasible.

"I'm glad you wanted to have this meeting; now that you all are back, we have the perfect opportunity for success!" Peppy told Fox. "I'll explain everything in a minute when everyone's here."

Fox nodded. He and the team then moved together to take their seats. The Star Fox teammates sat beside Jason and Lance. Fox checked on Jason to make sure he was adjusting fine.

"Everything going alright, Jason?" Fox asked his new friend.

Jason smiled at Fox, and replied, "Everything's great! I had a chance to catch up with Peppy about everything. It was quite amazing to find out he became general of the Cornerian Army! He said it was fine for me to be here for this meeting; it really takes me back to old times!"

Fox nodded and smiled at Jason, glad to see the old fox was happy. The meeting room was filled in just a few minutes, and everyone got quiet as Peppy cleared his throat to begin the meeting. Everyone was ready to hear what their general had to say.

"Now that we're all here, our meeting can begin," Peppy said. "Today, we make the final plans in ending this infernal war!"

The words received eager cheers from everyone in the meeting room. They were all ready for the war to be over, and were especially tired of all the trouble that had come from Planet Venom since Andross's time. They were ready for a period of peace and rest from all the malice that had plagued the Lylat System for so many years.

"We are making a big push to advance to Venom with a large force, including the entire Star Fox team," Peppy explained. "Their return has helped provide a golden opportunity to strike at the heart of the enemy. If all goes well, we will take Bowman by surprise and be able to subdue him and his forces swiftly. We will leave the husky unit here to defend any potential attacks on Corneria, but the bulldog unit will be coming with us. With the added forces of the bulldog unit and Star Fox, we should be successful in our efforts. The rest of our forces will make the journey to Venom. Unfortunately, we cannot directly go to Venom; it is imperative we first stop at Zoness. We will get there quickly using the Orbital Gate."

There was some chatter in the room for a moment, confusion at this idea. A short bulldog next to Lance spoke up to ask, "What's wrong with Zoness?"

"Our forces are small and struggling there, and if we don't get there quickly, the planet will be surrendered to Bowman's forces and would be much more difficult to recapture," Peppy answered. "On the bright side, our Army has managed to fend off Bowman's Army at the other planets he invaded. Since Katina has recently been cleared of Bowman's forces, Bill Grey and his squadron from the planet will be coming to meet us at Zoness as well. As one of our finest commanders, Grey will be very useful in helping us save Zoness and taking care of business at Venom. Once we stave off the enemy at Zoness, we can go to Venom and take down Bowman himself. We can worry about the remnants of his army after that, but I suspect they won't pose much of a threat without his direction. Are there any questions about our plans for this final push?"

There were a few seconds of silence in the room, and no one had any questions to ask. The plan was straightforward despite the setback at Zoness. Peppy took a deep breath before going on to finish his speech.

"I will be flying alongside you all in this operation, and it will be my final contribution to the Cornerian Army; when the war is won, I am retiring," Peppy announced.

The room suddenly became loud, everyone reacting to the general's retirement announcement. Fox's reaction was the calmest in the room. He smiled, thinking back to the conversation he and Peppy had before the war had even begun and remembering Peppy had said he wanted to retire soon. Fox was unsurprised not only that Peppy was finally retiring, but also that he wanted to take up an Arwing one final time. It would be a fitting way for the old hare to go out.

"I wish to live out my last years quietly and peacefully, and to spend some time with my daughter I never get to see anymore," Peppy said, referring to his beloved daughter Lucy. "I am honored to have served as general of the Cornerian Army, and before that as a member of the Star Fox team. I know we shall be victorious and liberate Lylat once again. I sincerely hope we enjoy a long period of peace following this war, and that no evil _ever_ be victorious in our galaxy. We depart at 9:00 AM tomorrow. We will first travel to the Orbital Gate, which will teleport us near Zoness. Then, once Zoness is saved, we go to Venom. Any final comments or questions?"

The bulldog next to Lance stood up to say something. "I know I speak for all of us when I say you will be missed, General. You've done our planet and our galaxy proud, with all the time, effort, and energy you've given."

The bulldog, clearly emotional, raised his arm and saluted Peppy. "Thank you for all your service, General!"

Peppy smiled at the bulldog, and saluted back to the soldier. "And thank you, soldier. I thank everyone here for their efforts in this war and over the years! I could never be a successful general without a successful army, and, of course, the Star Fox team. Thank _you_ all, so very much…"

Everyone in the room stood to give Peppy a standing ovation. They all deeply appreciated all his work with the Army and Star Fox, and were saddened to see him stepping down. Still, they knew he had earned it, and Fox especially was happy for him to have a life of his own after the war. Peppy acknowledged everyone in the room with a smile and a nod, emotional himself to see such a warm sendoff from his army and the Star Fox team.

"The meeting is dismissed! I shall see you all at the Center's hangar tomorrow!" Peppy yelled enthusiastically.

There was excited chatter all over the room, with the soldiers discussing the final attack and their plans for after the war. Fox wanted to have a moment with Peppy before he left. He first told his teammates he would stay behind.

"Do you all mind if I catch you later? I want to have a word with Peppy before I go," Fox said to his teammates.

"I guess that's cool; want to meet us someplace for dinner?" Falco asked. He turned to the others, saying, "I hope I'm not the only one who's starving…"

"Dinner sounds like a good idea; perhaps all seven of us could go?" Krystal suggested. The others nodded their heads in agreement, including Jason and Lance, who were happy to tag along with the team. Krystal turned to Fox, and said, "Just talk to us over the communicator when you're coming. We can let you know where we are. Please try not to be too long..."

She smiled and gave Fox a brief, affectionate nuzzle. She murmured, "See you soon…"

Fox smiled back, and acknowledged all his friends. "See you soon."

As Krystal, Falco, Slippy, Amanda, Jason, and Lance made their way for the exit of the meeting room, Fox made his way over to Peppy. Everyone else was clearing out the room while Fox and Peppy got together to have a brief one-on-one conversation.

"So… you're finally hanging it all up," Fox said. "I'm glad for you, Peppy; you deserve the rest as much as anyone. And I'm glad you decided to end the war quickly with all of us back now. We're all ready for it to be over!"

"Thanks, Fox; I was hoping you felt that way," Peppy replied. "I know now is the time for me to retire."

"But not without going for a spin in an Arwing one more time, huh?" Fox asked, grinning at the old hare.

Peppy chuckled, and replied, "What can I say? Old habits die hard. I will feel better being out there with all of you in the fighting. By the way, it's really something for me to have reunited with Jason Black again."

"Yeah; you guys had a pretty good relationship, right?" Fox asked.

"Oh, certainly! He, James, and I were all very good friends at the Academy," Peppy said. "James and I both wanted him to join us in the Star Fox team, but he chose to live quietly with his wife at the time instead…"

"He explained the details to me," Fox said to Peppy.

"Oh, right," Peppy said, scratching his neck. Then he continued, "It was wonderful to see him again, and I'm glad he was able to help you get back to the city, too. He told me all about you – how you remind him of your father so much. Strong, determined, caring – and of course, I agree with him."

Fox smiled, and replied, "Thanks, Peppy."

"You know, he wanted to help us in the final battle," Peppy explained. "But it's been far too long since he flew an Arwing and dealt with combat. So, he's reluctantly staying behind. I convinced him it was far too risky for him to suddenly get back into action like that. Still, I let him come to the meeting; I wanted him to feel welcome and a part of our efforts."

"Right," Fox agreed. He paused for a moment, before saying, "So… this really is it, then. Our last ride…"

Peppy raised an eyebrow, and asked Fox, " _Our_?"

Fox smiled a little, and told Peppy, "Once the war is finished, I'm retiring from the team. Krystal and I are settling down. I haven't told anyone else; I don't know how the rest of the team will feel about it or what their plans are, but I know my time fighting is over. I once thought I would fly and fight forever, but things changed. I've known for a while now what I want most is a quiet life with Krystal. That's how I want to spend however many years I have left."

Peppy smiled at Fox, and gave him a strong pat on the shoulder. He told Fox, "You've done so much for this galaxy, Fox. There's absolutely no shame in quitting now and living a new life, with someone you care for. It's what Jason did, and I know he and his wife were happy in their time together. You should follow your heart and do what it is you most desire for your life, Fox. Your father would be so proud of all of you've done… and I know he would want your happiness above all other things."

Fox was touched to hear Peppy's kind words. For years he had been the closest thing Fox had to a father, and despite losing his own, he was eternally grateful to have Peppy in his life. The old friends embraced in a hug, emotional because this was their final outing, and life would never be the same once the war was over. Hopefully, it would change only for the better.

"Thanks so much, Peppy… you're the best," Fox said to the old general.

"I try," Peppy said, chuckling a bit. "We will always keep in touch! I expect to get an invitation for the wedding!"

Fox nodded, still smiling at Peppy. "Of course, Peppy. Of course."

* * *

Fox walked out of the Army Center alone, and no one was nearby – or, so it seemed. Little did Fox know, an assassin had been waiting for him outside the Army Center, blaster in hand and ready to eliminate the Star Fox leader. The assassin hid on the side of the entrance building behind a stack of metallic crates, and had been ready to strike for over an hour. The assassin waited for this chance, with no other soldiers or bystanders in close range – just Fox. The assassin aimed his blaster at the back of Fox's head, prepared to do the unimaginable and kill Fox McCloud.

The assassin took one step forward – but, as fate would have it – he tripped over one of the crates as the trigger was pulled! Fox spun around as he heard the firing of the blaster; the laser ricocheted off the edge of one of the metallic crates, and bounced backwards to hit the assassin in his chest. The assassin cried in pain and crumpled to the ground, clutching his wounded chest. Fox ran over to see who the assassin was. His eyes grew big and his jaw dropped as he saw who had nearly ended his life.

"Panther…"


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Panther writhed in pain on the ground, holding his severely injured chest. After getting over his surprise, Fox looked down on his wounded enemy with a bit of sadness. He despised so much about Panther – from his actions with Star Wolf to his desires for Krystal. Many times Fox had wished the insufferable feline would just die; even now, part of Fox wished to leave Panther for dead. But Fox could not; his compassionate side took over, and he knew he couldn't allow someone defenseless to simply lay there and die – even if he hated him.

Fortunately, a medical center was very close to the Army Center, and Fox was able to drag Panther there fairly quickly. Fox simply explained Panther accidentally shot himself, which was sufficient enough for the concerned workers at the center. They recognized Fox and Panther, and were a little confused to see Fox helping the Star Wolf mercenary, but they didn't question it.

The doctors quickly got Panther to a room where they looked at him and did what they could. Fox waited outside the room anxiously. He had never expected to be in a situation like this. He had such mixed emotions about all of it. Panther had just tried to kill him… but Fox couldn't have just let him bleed out and die. His instincts had told him it was wrong. His father and Peppy had always told him to trust his instincts… and so he had.

After waiting for several minutes and trying to collect himself, Fox used his communicator to contact Krystal. Having been caught up in this mess, Fox had lost his appetite, and he probably wouldn't be able to make it to the restaurant anytime soon anyway. After a few seconds, Krystal picked up her communicator to respond.

"Hey! Are you ready to join us, love?" Krystal asked, initially cheerful to hear Fox call.

Fox swallowed hard, then replied, "I'm afraid not. Something happened, and I'm not going to be able to make it."

"What's wrong, Fox? Are you okay?!" Krystal asked, her tone now fretful.

"I'm fine, but someone's hurt; I'm in a medical center right now, and I don't know how long I'll be here," Fox told her.

"Who got hurt?" Krystal asked, still very worried.

"…Panther," Fox grimly answered.

"Panther?!" Krystal exclaimed. "What happened?!"

"It was an accident; he tried to shoot me, but the fire ricocheted back at him," Fox explained. "I couldn't just leave him there… it wouldn't have been right."

There was an uncomfortable period of silence. Krystal was furious that Panther tried to kill Fox, and she felt far more anger about it than Fox did. Eventually she spoke again, unable to hide the anger.

"He tried to kill you… and you… saved him?!" Krystal asked incredulously.

"Krystal, I couldn't just let him slowly bleed out and die in the street," Fox replied. "I don't like him, but it was the right thing to do. I had to."

Krystal sighed, then said, "You're right… he didn't hurt you, at all?"

"He didn't hurt me at all," Fox said. "I'm sorry I can't make it to dinner. I hope you guys have a good time; I have to stay here for however long it will take."

"Okay… I suppose I didn't sense anything because you were fortunately unharmed," Krystal said, referring to her telepathy. She then asked, "Do you want any food brought back?"

"No, thank you," Fox replied. "I'm not very hungry. I will see you guys tomorrow though, alright? I've got to go now – bye."

Fox had to hang up his communicator as he saw the doctors come out of the room. Fox saw all of their heads were down – a bad sign. One of the doctors, a light blue cat, approached Fox to give him the news.

"There's nothing more we can do for him. He doesn't have long; I'm very sorry," the blue cat said, regret in his voice.

Fox opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't for a moment. The emotions continued to overwhelm him. He didn't know what or how he should think. He at least knew he felt sad – sad that it had to come to this.

"Can I talk to him?" Fox asked the blue cat.

"Yes. It will be your last chance," the blue cat replied.

The blue cat gave Fox a sympathetic pat on the back, to which Fox simply nodded. Fox went inside the room where Panther was, finding him lying still on a hospital bed. Panther was calm, and didn't appear any differently from if he was taking a rest without a fatal injury. He looked at Fox; mixed emotions were also going through Panther's mind.

"They don't know if I'll make it," Panther told Fox.

"They told me," Fox quietly replied.

"Why, Fox… why did you try to save me?" Panther asked, truly perplexed.

"Because… it was the right thing to do," Fox answered resolutely. "I know we've been enemies, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't do what's right. I couldn't just leave you."

Panther continued to stare at Fox, and he eventually said "Thank you," with total sincerity.

"I'm sorry it was too late," Fox replied, as earnestly as Panther had thanked him.

"You don't have to apologize," Panther said. "I tried to kill you…"

A moment of silence passed. They kept looking at each other, filled with such uncomfortable and intense emotions. Eventually, Panther spoke again, knowing he should be open in these final moments.

"As soon as you escaped from Venom… Bowman told my team to find you and finish you off," Panther explained to Fox. "Wolf sent me alone, and told me he and Leon would go in later tonight if they didn't hear back from me by 10…"

It was far past 8 now. Getting close to 9. Fox breathed heavily, uneasy about this information.

"So they'll be looking for me soon…" Fox said.

Fox and Panther continued staring at each other, the moment quite intense now. Panther's eyes narrowed, and he slowly shook his head. Panther smiled a little at Fox. He took his communicator and called Wolf, with no hesitation in his action.

"This better be good," Wolf growled on the other end of the line.

"I killed him," Panther said to Wolf, all the while smiling at Fox in front of him.

"You… you really did it?" Wolf asked, sounding surprised.

"It's done. No need for you and Leon to come here," Panther said.

"Alright then. We'll back off," Wolf said. "You sound like you're in bad shape… what happened? Did he shoot you or something?"

"Don't worry about it; I'll be back when I can," Panther told Wolf. "Panther out."

Panther switched off the communicator before Wolf could ask anything else.

Fox was surprised at first, but soon he found himself smiling back. After all the animosity he and Panther had for each other, they had come to such an unexpected moment. They suddenly had a kind of respect for each other. Panther had called Wolf and Leon off, in exchange for what Fox had done. It was a welcome moment that each of them appreciated, and they allowed themselves to forget their past hostility.

"Thank you, Panther," Fox said, truly grateful.

"Fox… one more thing…" Panther said, focused on one more thing.

"Yes?" Fox asked.

"Krystal… take care of Krystal," Panther said, a couple tears welling in his eyes. "She's… she's a good woman, and… you're a good man, Fox…"

Fox nodded, and he gave Panther a serious look of appreciation. He knew Panther was sincere. And Fox was glad to hear these words – even from a past enemy. It didn't matter now.

"I will," Fox said.

Panther nodded back, and he gave Fox another smile. Panther closed his eyes, and let tears silently roll down his cheeks. Fox watched over Panther in these final moments, as Panther was sorrowfully reflecting on his life – what could have been…

Panther had many regrets, but he knew there was nothing he could do now. His choices and actions were permanent. He wondered to himself if there was any kind of salvation in remorse. He thought of Krystal, knowing she was too pure-hearted and good for someone like himself – a rogue. A rogue with a history full of bad decisions. He imagined Krystal being happy… a woman who deserved true happiness and prosperity. He pictured it in his head – the person he had truly cared about the most in his heart, happy… It was enough. With that final thought in his head, Panther calmly let go of life and drifted away.

* * *

It was a difficult walk back to his house, but Fox was still grateful for the final moments he shared with Panther in the hospital. Fox never would have expected such a moment to have occurred, but so it had. Fox felt bad he couldn't have enjoyed time with Panther as an ally. It would have been much better than having to deal with Panther as an adversary. It was all over now though, and Fox had to accept it.

When he got near his house, Fox saw Krystal waiting at the doorstep for him. Fox ran the rest of the way, and shared a loving embrace with Krystal when he reached her. He was a little surprised, but happy all the same to see her here. It was a great comfort to him in this time especially.

"I thought you'd be with the others still," Fox said, then kissing Krystal's forehead. "But I'm glad you're here…"

"I needed to see you again…" Krystal said, rubbing her head against Fox's chest. "I came here after dinner. I figured I could call you if you weren't back here soon enough…"

"How long have you been waiting? And how is everyone?" Fox asked.

"I've only been here for a few minutes; I was at the restaurant for a while. The others are all fine… I didn't tell them yet what you told me; I stepped away to talk to you earlier," Krystal explained. "So… how's Panther?"

A few seconds passed before Fox answered. "He's dead."

Krystal's eyes went big upon hearing the news, a little surprised. She didn't know what to expect, but hearing he had died was quite impactful. Panther had been a threat for a long time, and left behind some unforgettable memories – almost all bad.

"I see…" Krystal said. She didn't know what else to say.

"There's something you should know," Fox told Krystal. "Let's go inside."

The two foxes entered the house together. They sat on Fox's small couch near his maroon-colored armchair, which was also a dark shade of red. They cuddled close together, gaining comfort from one another.

"What did you want to tell me, Fox?" Krystal asked.

"After I took Panther to the hospital… he repaid me," Fox explained. "Wolf and Leon were going to come in next after me, later tonight. Panther called them off, right before he died."

Krystal remained silent, taking this information in. It seemed uncharacteristic of the Panther she had known – a selfish, sadistic assassin. But obviously Fox would have no reason to lie about this.

"I know Panther wasn't a very good guy in the time we knew him," Fox continued. "But he couldn't have been all bad to do that favor for me. Remember, he did also help us at the end of the Aparoid War with Wolf and Leon – even if it was for more selfish reasons primarily. He still did the right thing then… He also told me to take care of you… I think he really did care about you. Maybe he never really showed it right, but he seemed completely sincere to me. I just wanted you to know this."

Krystal nodded slowly, absorbing this. She had known Panther a little better than Fox, having briefly been with Star Wolf, but not by a lot more. He never seemed to fully reveal his feelings to anyone.

"I'm glad you told me," Krystal said. "When I was with Star Wolf, he would try to impress me, but I assumed he had only wanted me for shallow reasons. Perhaps underneath that, he did want more… I never really knew him well enough I suppose. Maybe he just didn't want to look weak in front of his team. I don't know."

"Could have been," Fox agreed. "Anyway, I thought you should know. I believe there was more to him than we ever really knew…"

Fox sighed, the fresh memory of Panther's death stuck on his mind. It would stay with him forever. Krystal leaned her head on Fox's body and hugged him tightly. In turn, he put his arm around her, keeping her close to him. They wanted to focus on some happier things, even though they both understood and valued the significance of the situation with Panther.

"I've been worrying about you so much lately with everything that's gone on…" Krystal murmured. She looked up at Fox from his lap, then smiled a little. "I'm never going to let you sleep without me again!"

He smiled back, and the two shared a small kiss. He happily answered back, "Fine by me!"

"Have you thought about our future together more? About children and such?" Krystal asked. She didn't want to pry too much, but she had been thinking about this herself for a while now.

Fox _had_ been thinking about it a little since they last talked about it his cabin on the Great Fox. He felt bad he hadn't had a good answer at that time, but he was so unsure. He still wasn't completely certain, but he had warmed to the idea of having a child with Krystal. He felt it would be a satisfying, rewarding new adventure – a kind of adventure without all the violence and danger tied to his old life. Just perhaps not for a little while…

"Well… I think having a child would be wonderful for us, Krystal," Fox said. "I'd like it if we spent a couple years as just the two of us, though… if you don't mind."

Krystal smiled, and rubbed against Fox again. She was satisfied with that. She had wanted Fox to want a child as well, and she could sense his sincerity. They each felt it would bring them even closer together.

"Yes… we can spend some time just to ourselves first," Krystal agreed. "I'm glad you decided you wanted to be a father, Fox. I know it will only strengthen our bond…"

"I think so too, Krystal," Fox said.

"So… you still want to wait until we're married for… you know?" Krystal asked, grinning playfully.

Fox chuckled, and replied, "I think it'd be more special that way, don't you?"

Krystal sighed a little. "I guess," she grudgingly agreed. "But you better not hold back when that day comes!"

"Don't worry about that; I won't!" Fox said.

The two laughed together and rolled on the couch for a minute. They loved each other so much, and it was cathartic for each of them to share their affections. It was something they had missed so much when they had been apart – when Fox was captured, and before that when their relationship had been in a bad place. Now was different though. Now, Fox and Krystal were filled with certainty that they would always be together – and nothing could get in the way of that.

"I know I agreed more strongly the last time we were here, but I just love you so much," Krystal told Fox, regarding her previous comments. "I can't wait to be married… it's what I want the most!"

"Me too, Krystal," Fox said, snuggling against Krystal. "It will be very soon now. As soon as take care of business on Zoness and Venom… it'll fly by!"

"I sure hope so – and no big complications," Krystal added. "We've got to get up a little early, unfortunately. Want to do anything else, or go to sleep?"

"Sleep," Fox immediately replied, eliciting a chuckle from Krystal. He continued, "It's been a _very_ eventful day. Meeting Jason, going to the Army Center, and then what happened with Panther…"

The room became somber again at the mention of Panther. Fox and Krystal both took it quite seriously, especially considering what Panther had done in his final moments. They soberly accepted Panther's fate, and each of them fully let go of his past misdeeds. He was dead now, and he seemed to have had some kind of compassion inside of him. What would the point be of holding grudges now? They could only do their best to be at peace with all of it now.

"Well… I agree. It has been a long, hard day," Krystal eventually said. "Today, I got you back though, and that is what's most important to me… so let's rest now for the big day tomorrow!"

With that, the two walked up to Fox's bedroom, side by side. Once they got into bed together, they fell asleep quickly, and were locked in a loving embrace through the hours of the night. Fox had one particular thought on his mind right before falling asleep that night.

 _I'll never lose you again, Krystal. We will always be together…_


End file.
